Two Is Better Than One
by RozaBelikova-x
Summary: Dimitri Belikov's boring and solitary life is turned upside down when he finds runaway Rose in his home stealing food. Only a teen, she's been living in her car for weeks. Intrigued by the girl, he decides to take her in and give her a fresh start, but that proves to be difficult when his feelings for Rose start to grow. AH.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello again! Here I am with my new story, I hope you're all going to like it! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy. It belongs to Richelle Mead!_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **DPOV**

It started to rain when I stepped out of the bookstore after a long day's work. _Of course,_ I thought, exasperated, looking up at the cloudy sky. Taking out my keys, I unlocked the door and stepped back inside. I didn't want my sketches to get wet so I thought it was better to wait it out in the shop. I was the last one to leave, as usual, because I easily lost track of time. But I might be pressing my luck today.

Taking off my duster, I put it on the countertop together with my sketchbook and fished my cell out of my jeans pocket. She was not going to be happy... _So be it._

Tasha sounded very cheerful when she picked up. "Hey, Dimka! What's up?"

"Hey," I said as I looked out the window. "It's raining so I'm going to be stuck at the bookstore for another while. I'm sorry."

There was a short pause. _Uh oh, that's not good…_

"The rain's not that bad," she said at last. She sounded a lot less cheerful already. "Can't you go? It's, like, a fifteen-minute walk to your place. If you run, it's only, like, seven minutes."

"I've got my sketches with me," I answered cautiously. "I don't want them to get wet."

Another pause.

"What about our reservation then?" she asked, trying to hide her annoyance but failing.

I was almost afraid to ask. "Can't we push it? I won't be _that_ late," I added hastily. "It looks like it's going to stop raining soon."

"Fine," Tasha sighed. "I'll see what I can do. I'd come and get you myself, but I'm stuck at Moira's for now."

"No problem." Honestly, I was relieved she was busy at the moment. I liked my walks home. And I liked the part where I walked _alone._ I also liked the silence. If I let her drive me home, she'd chatter non-stop. "I'll text you when I get home."

I didn't understand why she wanted me to go home right away when she was still occupied with her sister. _Maybe I should break it off…_

I met Tasha here, at the bookstore, about two months ago. She'd come in a few times that week, the first time with a boy with the same jet-black hair and icy blue eyes as her. I remembered that day because the boy bought five books at once. Later, I found out he was her nephew. After that day, she kept coming back alone, but she never bought anything. That's when Alberta, my boss, said, "She's here for you. Go ask her out already."

The thought of asking her out had never crossed my mind, even though she was pretty and she _seemed_ nice enough. But I kept hearing Mama's voice in the back of my mind, _You should go out more. Meet a girl. Maybe start a family. It'll be good for you._ I knew she meant well – and I had to admit I _was_ kind of living like a recluse lately. So I asked her out. And she was nice – the first five dates. Now that I'd gotten to know her better, I wasn't so sure anymore.

But every relationship needed work, right? Falling in love didn't just _happen_. You had to work for it. So maybe I should try a little harder. Try to see her more often. And leave my work at home.

Ten minutes later, it had stopped raining. After locking everything up again, I started my walk home. I quickened my pace when it started drizzling again, but thankfully my sketches stayed dry. The sky was starting to clear up again, the sun peeking from behind the clouds, when I reached my home.

Walking into the living room, I checked on Donatello, my turtle. My youngest sister gave it to me as a joke. "To keep you company," she'd said. She'd also named him after one of the _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles._ She thought it was hilarious. Donatello stared at me through the glass for a few moments and then slowly turned away, kicking sand at the glass.

"Great, you're upset with me too," I muttered. "I'll give you a carrot. Maybe that'll cheer you up." Though I'd hated the thought of keeping a turtle at first, he kind of grew on me.

That's when I heard a sound coming from the kitchen. Dropping my sketchbook on the desk, I looked up. There was another sound, like a chair scraping.

"Tasha?" I called out. I didn't remember showing her where to find the spare key, though, so it couldn't be her. "Vika, is that you?"

I walked over to the kitchen. The door was ajar so I pushed it open. I stopped dead when I saw a girl standing in the middle of my kitchen, holding a knife in her hand. She sprang back immediately when she saw me and raised the knife.

"Stay back!" she shouted.

I blinked in surprise. _What the hell?_ I glanced from the girl to the back door and saw that it was wide open. When I glanced back at her, I saw a half-eaten sandwich and Donatello's canned fruit behind her on the countertop. I took another step, completely bewildered.

"Stay back," she repeated. Her eyes darted from me to the back door. She looked scared, but determined as she lifted the knife again.

"I'm not going to hurt you," I said, holding up my hands in surrender. "Just…put the knife down so we can talk."

"No!" she exclaimed, suddenly angry.

For a small girl, she could look very threatening. She also looked young, maybe even still a minor. But that wasn't the first thing about her that struck me, though maybe it should have. She had long, dark wavy hair that framed a beautiful face with brown doe eyes and plump lips.

I wondered why a beautiful girl like her needed to steal food. At least that's what I assumed was going on here. She must be desperate; otherwise she wouldn't be threatening me with a knife right now.

"You're going to back up and let me leave."

Slowly, I took a step back. With the knife still pointed at me, she grabbed the canned fruit and the sandwich with her free hand and stepped to the back door.

"Please don't call the cops. I just wanted some food," she said apologetically before throwing the knife to the ground and dashing out of the back door.

I was too shocked to move for a moment, but then I rushed after her through the back door. She was fast, but my legs were twice as long so it wasn't that hard to catch up with her. I wasn't sure why I was chasing her, though. She only stole some food; it wasn't a big deal.

"Hey, look out!" I exclaimed, stopping short when a car turned onto the street.

But it was already too late. Startled, the girl looked up and stopped in the middle of the road when the car – which kind of looked familiar all of a sudden – knocked her off her feet. The car came to a screeching halt, and a moment later a stunned Tasha stepped out of it.

"Are you okay?" I asked, taking a step towards the girl.

But the girl scrambled to her feet wordlessly, picked up the canned fruit and sprinted away. I contemplated running after her again, but Tasha drew my attention.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed, coming to her senses. She walked around her car and checked the bumper. The blue paint on the hood was chipped, but that was all. "Watch where you're going next time!" Tasha shouted, turning her gaze towards the girl who'd disappeared from view by now. " _God_."

Annoyed, I looked at Tasha. "Is that all you care about? You could've really hurt that girl! Maybe she _is_ hurt."

"If she can run like that, I don't think she's hurt," Tasha scoffed. "Besides, she shouldn't have run out on the street like that!" She frowned. "Why were you running after her?"

"She broke into my house," I answered. "I just…" I paused, not sure what I'd wanted to say. "I don't know why I ran after her."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "She broke into your house?!"

"Yeah, but it's fine," I said dismissively, starting to turn back towards the house. "She only stole some food."

While Tasha parked her car in my driveway, I took a look at the back door. The girl must've picked the lock, but there was no damage. It made me wonder if she'd done this before.

"Oh my God."

I looked up at Tasha. "What?"

"You need a better lock," she said, walking past me into the kitchen. "I can't believe she broke in. The nerve! I should've hit her harder."

I got to my feet. "Don't say that. It's just a girl."

"But she _stole_ from you!" Tasha argued. She sat down on a kitchen chair and crossed her arms on the table, staring at me. "How can you be so calm? You should be angry. Maybe she stole money from you as well."

"I don't keep my money here," I told her. "It was just the food."

Tasha scowled. "Why would anyone break in to steal food?"

I shrugged. "She was hungry."

"How can anyone be so desperate?" Tasha exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.

I didn't like where this conversation was going; it was time to change the subject. That's when Tasha spotted the knife on the floor. I'd completely forgotten about it.

"Oh my God!" she screamed again, jumping up from her chair as I quickly picked up the knife. She'd used it to make her sandwich so I put it in the sink. "Did she _attack_ you?"

"No," I said quickly. "No. She was afraid, that's all."

Tasha huffed, crossing her arms again. "We should call the police."

"This is my house, Tasha," I said sharply. "I'll call the police if I feel it's necessary. It _isn't._ " Walking over to the fridge, I scanned the shelfs for fruit or vegetables so I could feed Donatello. But it looked like the dark-haired girl ran off with my last can of peaches. "I need to go to the grocery store."

" _What_?"

"There's no food for Donatello so I need to go to the grocery store," I explained.

Tasha stared at me, her eyes wide and her head tilted as if she was confused. Then she threw up her hands, groaning in frustration. "I already pushed back our reservations! Now you want me to push them back again for your _turtle_? Are you serious?"

"It'll take ten minutes," I said, unfazed by her outburst. This wasn't the first one, and I was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last either. "He needs to be fed."

"It's a stupid turtle. He won't realize he didn't get any food today. And if we don't leave right now, we're not getting any food either!" she said, exaggerating as usual.

It irked me that she was always trying to pick a fight, but I didn't show it. _Red flags everywhere._ "My sister gave him to me." She just stared at me; unwavering. "Look, why don't you go to the restaurant already?" I sighed. "I'll go to the grocery store, feed Donatello and then I'll join you. It'll take fifteen minutes. Tops."

Tasha narrowed her eyes at me, contemplating this. "You still need to change."

I furrowed my brows. "Huh?"

"It's summer, Dimka!" she said, motioning towards me. "Take off that duster and wear a nice button-up shirt for a change. It _is_ a nice restaurant."

I refrained myself from rolling my eyes. She hadn't said so until now, but I k _new_ she hated my duster. "Fine," I conceded. "Twenty minutes, then."

"We'll have to go with separate cars. That's just silly," she said, shaking her head. _It's fine by me_ , I thought. _Finally some peace. If only for a short while._ "Why don't you change into something else and I'll go to the grocery store?"

I shrugged. "Alright."

"Alright. What should I bring?" Tasha asked with forced politeness.

"Some fresh vegetables and fruit. He really likes carrots so you might want to bring a couple of those," I said, taking out my wallet and handing her twenty bucks. "That should be enough."

When she'd left, I felt the tension slip from my shoulders. Sometimes Tasha could really drive me nuts. The same thoughts from earlier entered my mind as I changed into something 'more appropriate' for the restaurant. _Maybe I really should break it off. It's not going the way it should…_

But how should it go? Couples fought all the time, but I wasn't certain if we should even call ourselves a couple. We'd been seeing each other for nearly two months, yes, but were we in a relationship? I didn't know. I wasn't sure I wanted us to be in a relationship either, not with the way things were going lately.

Tasha looked satisfied with the blue button-up shirt I'd pulled on when she came back. I fed Don a carrot and some salad, then left with Tasha for the restaurant. We were only ten minutes late. I thought the fighting was over for tonight, but during dinner, she started up another conversation about the girl that had broken into my house.

"I really think you should report her to the police," Tasha said, rearranging the asparagus on her plate. She'd barely touched her food. "She might do it again, you know."

I took a bite of my lasagna, munching slowly, hoping to stall. I didn't feel like talking about the girl anymore. I wasn't going to report her, no matter what Tasha said.

"She might even come back to your place because you're an easy target," Tasha continued. "After all, you didn't manage to catch her."

I frowned. "It wasn't my intention to catch her."

"Then why were you chasing her?"

I paused because I honestly didn't know how to answer that. "I… I don't know. But I wasn't going to catch her and take her to the police."

"You should have," Tasha insisted. "You can still call them. It's not too late."

My frown deepened. "No. The poor girl was hungry."

Tasha rolled her eyes. "God. You're so gullible sometimes."

I clenched my jaw. "If I were to inform the police, I should probably tell them that you hit her with your car. So they can look for a girl that's hurt."

Tasha's mouth fell open in surprise. "That was an accident! She jumped right in front of me!" She was angry now. "Besides, she got right back to her feet and ran off. She's just fine."

"Maybe so," I said with a shrug, "but I should tell them everything anyway, right? In case they do find the girl and she starts talking. It would look bad if I didn't. They could think you did it on purpose."

Tasha's nostrils flared in anger. She stabbed her fork at her asparagus in a very aggressive way. _Lucky I'm not that asparagus_ , I thought as I swallowed another bite of lasagna. Though she was probably imagining she was stabbing _me_ right now. Maybe I did deserve that, because I was kind of being an asshole.

"Well, I guess it's your choice if you report her or not," she said stiffly. "I shouldn't meddle."

I smiled. "Right."

After dinner, Tasha drove me back home. We were both silent until she parked the car in my driveway.

"Thanks," I said, anxious to get inside. I really needed space right now. "I'll call you later."

"Oh, can't I come in for a nightcap?" She smiled and leaned over, putting her hand on my thigh. "And maybe-"

I opened the door, pulling away from her. "No, I'm actually really tired," I lied, "and I have to get up early tomorrow morning."

"I thought you had the day off."

"I do," I said, cursing myself silently. I'd forgotten I'd already told her. "But I have to work on my sketches."

Tasha looked disappointed. "You don't have to work on them _all day_ , right?"

"Well, there's still a lot of work to do before I mail them on Monday so…" I shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I'll call you."

She sighed deeply. "Okay."

Then she leaned in again and kissed me. It was kind of awkward because we were still both annoyed with one another after tonight's fight. At least, _I_ was.

When I finally slipped back inside my house, I let out a sigh of relief. The night was over – at last. I watched Tasha drive out onto the street and then turned away. The evening was still young – dusk was only just now falling – so I figured I might as well get some work done before going to bed.

* * *

 _So this was the first chapter! How did you like it? Should I continue? Please let me know and have an awesome weekend! :D_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows! Your support means a great deal to me! :D_

 _Now on with the second chapter. I'm going to try and update this story weekly, most likely I will post a new chapter during the weekend. I hope you're going to like it!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **DPOV**

When I woke up the next morning, I decided to go for a run. It had been too long and I had some spare time now, since I'd worked on my sketches until well past after midnight. When I got back, I'd finish it up so they'd be ready for the mailbox on Monday.

Even though I went to bed late last night, I woke up early. I liked jogging when the town was still asleep; it was so quiet and no one was going to stop you to make small talk. I was only two blocks away from home, though, when I had to stop, but this time it wasn't because a neighbor felt like chatting. This time it was because of my own curiosity.

There was a car parked across the street, and inside, I saw a girl with dark long hair. I knew that the chances of this being the same girl that broke into my house yesterday were slim, but something drew me to that car anyway. I slowed down, stopping completely when I was only a feet away.

My eyes widened in surprise when I saw it was the same girl from last night. Her tousled hair was hiding most of her face, but I recognized her. She was reclining in the driver's seat, her legs stretched out on the dashboard. Her jeans was torn and I noticed a bloody knee. _It's her, alright._ She didn't move so she must be asleep.

I knew I should probably leave, but for some reason I couldn't. Instead, I closed the gap and looked through the window. I didn't know what was going on with me; usually I wasn't this curious. _Let's hope the girl doesn't wake up right now or she's going to think I'm some creep._

I noticed an opened can of peaches on the passenger's seat, next to an empty water bottle. _My_ can. I glanced back at the girl before taking a step back. She was sleeping in an Audi TT. By my knowledge, this was a very expensive car. How did she come by an Audi if she needed to steal her food? Did she steal the car as well? Maybe Tasha was right after all. She had some nerve parking only a few blocks away from the house she'd broken into. If I'd called the police, they would have found her quickly.

But then I remembered how she'd looked at me when she'd asked me not to call the police. That she'd only wanted some food. She'd been desperate. That's when I noticed there was a bag and a blanket in the backseat. The bag was zipped open, revealing clothes. It looked like she was living in this car. But _why_? She must be in some kind of trouble. _It's none of your concern_ , a voice inside my head whispered. _Just walk away._

So that's what I did.

After my run, I took a shower and then I finished my sketches. Relieved I'd met my deadline, I could now enjoy the rest of my weekend. I'd told Tasha I'd call her, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to see her today. I was actually really confused after seeing the girl sleeping in that expensive car this morning, wondering if Tasha may be right about her. But before I could decide whether to call Tasha or not, the doorbell rang and the choice had been made for me already.

Tasha looked up at me; there were actual tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry about last night, Dimitri. I shouldn't have meddled. Please don't be mad anymore."

I let out a heavy sigh and pulled her in a hug. "I'm sorry too, Tasha."

I didn't tell her about what I'd seen this morning, though. It might provoke another discussion and I didn't want to argue again. After a while, it just became exhausting. We kissed and made up the way we always did. With sex.

But I still felt bad afterwards. My thoughts kept going back to the girl, trying to figure her out. But I didn't even know her. So why should I care she was sleeping in a car? Why should I care that she needed to steal food to survive? Maybe she'd brought it on herself. Maybe she was just a rebellious teen who broke into homes for the kick of it.

But my gut told me otherwise. I didn't know how or where she'd gotten that car, but she hadn't been stealing food for fun. And the way her car had looked inside, it was like she was _living_ in it.

"Hey," Tasha said softly, placing a hand on my chest. "What are you thinking about?"

I glanced at her and managed a smile. "Nothing."

Tasha looked at me for a long time and then shrugged. "I know you probably don't want to talk about this anymore," she said slowly, after a few moments of silence. "But…"

"But?" I prompted. I already had a bad feeling about this and she hadn't even started yet.

"But," she repeated, looking up at me. "Shouldn't you change your locks? Just in case."

I let out an exasperated sigh. "No, I'm not changing the locks."

"Why not?" she demanded. "It'll be safer-"

I rolled to the side of the bed and sat up. "It won't make a difference if I change the locks."

"Says who?" Tasha said, sitting up as well. "You never know, maybe she tries again…"

I groaned inwardly. "Do you really think that me changing the locks is going to stop her then? She knows how to pick them." I started to get dressed. "Besides, she's harmless."

I didn't know why I was defending someone I didn't know, someone who'd broken into my home. I should be more worried about her breaking in again, but I was actually more concerned with her wellbeing. _She's living in car._

"Harmless?" Tasha scoffed, crossing her arms. "She had a knife!"

"Yes, because she was making herself a sandwich." I shrugged. "I just caught her by surprise."

"Don't you realize how ridiculous you sound right now?" Tasha exclaimed. She started pulling on her shorts, then threw on her shirt. "I can't believe this!"

I clenched my jaw. "Let's just agree to disagree."

"Well, if you don't want to change the locks, then at least buy an alarm system," Tasha growled, stomping past me down the stairs. I followed her. "I don't know if you realize this, but if a girl can get her way inside your house, a grown man can do the same. What if it happens to be a murdering thief next time?" Suddenly, she stopped in the hallway and turned around on her heels, jabbing my chest with her finger. " _What then_?"

I hated to admit it, but she had a point. If my lock was so easy to pick, it shouldn't be difficult for a 'professional'. I didn't want Tasha to feel unsafe whenever she came over so maybe I should just give in this time.

"Alright," I said after a few moments. "I'll change the locks." She gave me an expectant look so I added reluctantly, "and I'll buy an alarm system."

"Alright," she said, deflating.

"I'll go on Monday."

Her eyes widened. "What? No. We're going right now!"

"Okay, okay," I conceded. I gave her a smile, albeit a little forced. "Can we stop fighting now?"

Tasha sighed. "Yes, of course." She leaned into me, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm sorry if I pushed you, but I'm just worried."

"I know, I know," I said, wrapping my arms around her as well. "I'm sorry for being stubborn."

We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for a decent alarm system. A locksmith would come over on Tuesday morning to change the locks on my front and back door. Tasha didn't like that it would take another few days, but I honestly didn't mind.

She didn't sleep over that night because one of her friends had a bachelorette party that she needed to go to. I was actually relieved that I'd have tonight to myself. Maybe I could finish reading my novel. I didn't think about the girl again that night, but the next morning I was confronted with her once again.

I saw the sleek Audi still parked in the same spot during my morning run. I stared at it, in doubt, before jogging over at last. The girl was asleep again. She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday and the day before that. Her knee was still bloodied. The can of peaches had disappeared. _Don't worry about it, Dimitri. She'll be okay._

But Monday morning was the same when I passed her car. Had she run out of food? Couldn't she walk because of her knee? I took another look at the girl before making a decision. Turning around, I ran back home to grab my wallet. I'd almost left again when I realized it'd be better if I took my bike to the store.

I went back inside to find my backpack before going to the garage. I hadn't used my bike in ages, seeing as the bookstore was only a walking distance away, so it had gathered a lot of dust and cobwebs, so I reminded myself to clean my bike after work. When I arrived at the supermarket, I started collecting all the items I needed. It wasn't much, but I figured it would be enough.

Forty minutes had passed when I finally reached my destination. I hoped the girl was still asleep; otherwise this was going to be very awkward. Hesitantly, I approached the car. My neighbor from across the street, Victor, walked past with his dog and I pretended to fumble with the chain on my bike. When he was out of view, I moved closer and stopped at the driver's window. The girl was still fast asleep, looking very peaceful. With a smile, I put my backpack on the hood of her car and then pedaled my bike down the street when I realized I was going to be late for work.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Alberta greeted me with a smile. She was about to unlock the door when I stopped my bike at the shop window. "You don't like walking anymore?" She swiped her finger across one of the handlebars. "It's a little dusty, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I was in a rush," I told her. "No time to clean it."

She frowned, looking worried. "Everything alright?"

"Oh, yes," I said quickly, plastering a smile across my face. "Everything's alright. Just had something to do before work…" I followed her inside the building. "That reminds me… Would it be alright if I come in later tomorrow? A locksmith is coming over in the morning."

"Oh?" she said, glancing over at me in surprise.

I shrugged. "The locks need to be changed. I'll make up for it," I promised.

"It's okay," she said, reassuring me with a smile. "Did you bring your sketches? I'd like to take a peek before you mail them." My eyes widened in shock. _Shit!_ I'd completely forgotten about them. Alberta must've seen the panic on my face because she said, "No worries. You can go home during lunchbreak and mail them then."

I gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Alberta."

The rest of the morning was uneventful; a few customers came in and went. Time seemed to go slower today, but maybe that was because I was anxious to go home to get my sketches. When Alberta finally waved me off, I practically raced home.

After putting my sketches in a brown thick envelope, I quickly made myself a bite to eat in the kitchen and then left on my bike to deliver them at the post office. I probably shouldn't be doing this because the post office was on the other side of town, but I couldn't help but turn left and see if the girl had found my backpack. _Let's hope no one stole it before she got the chance to look inside_ , I thought with a frown. _That'd be ironic._

Well, at least the backpack had disappeared from the hood, I saw when I rode onto the street. I didn't dare stop this time so I just pedaled past the car, taking only a quick peek. She wasn't inside the car, but the backpack was on the passenger's seat.

I smiled, satisfied, and turned back around and biked to the post office where I dropped off my sketches. I felt pretty good about myself when I rode back to the bookstore. I'd helped someone today. I hoped I'd helped her enough so she wouldn't have to break into people's houses today.

Alberta peered through her glasses at me when I entered the bookstore and smiled. "You're fast. Did you manage to drop off your sketches?"

I nodded.

"Too bad I didn't get to see them," she said. I muttered an apology, but she shook her head. "It's fine. I'll see your work when I buy the book for my daughter." She winked at me. "You know how much she liked your previous work."

"It's just a book cover design this time," I said, a little embarrassed. "And I told you, I just make the drawings."

Alberta shrugged. "Yeah, but your drawings is what makes it so interesting for children. They'd be bored out of their minds without pictures." She rolled her eyes. "Don't have enough patience to read the actual words. Take Maddy for instance. She looks at the pictures while I read to her. She's lazy like that."

"She's only five," I responded.

"You gotta learn when you're young," Alberta said with another shrug. "I did, too."

 **RPOV**

I woke up way too early for my liking. I'd fallen asleep late, I think it might've three in the morning, and glancing down at my watch I saw that it was only half past eight. So that was, like, five hours of sleep. I wasn't sure how much longer I could go on like this, sleeping inside this damn car. For such a fancy car, it was rather uncomfortable. Especially after three weeks of living inside of it. My back was hurting and now I had my leg to worry about as well.

If only I hadn't been so stupid to cross the street without looking. If only that stupid lady had stopped her car sooner. Thankfully, I'd still managed to escape from the man. For some reason, he'd stopped chasing me when the car had hit me. Lucky for me, because after my fall I was sure he would've caught me.

That night, I'd limped my way down the streets to clean the open wound on my knee at the river. That was all I could do about it, really. That, and pray it wouldn't get infected. I didn't dare go to the ER, in case the man had reported me to the police. It wouldn't be difficult to find me, then.

But I didn't think he had. Otherwise they would've found me already, seeing as I was living only a few blocks away from the man's house. I wished I could leave, but I didn't have any money left to pay for gas. I didn't have any money left for _anything_.

Groaning, I moved around in the car seat, trying to stretch my legs. My right leg still hurt. I glanced down at my knee and saw that the wound was starting to heal, though part of my jeans was stuck to it. I wished I could take off my jeans and put on some shorts instead, but I was afraid I'd bust open the wound again if I tried to take it off. But it had to come off eventually.

I looked back up, out of the windshield, and noticed a backpack sitting on my hood. "What the-"

I cut myself off as I opened the car door, snatching the backpack from the hood. It was already warm outside. Soon I'd be able to make omelets on my dashboard. If only I had some money to buy eggs. I could really eat an omelet right now – or two – but after my grand escape three days ago, I was too scared to get out there again. Besides, I couldn't even if I wanted to, thanks to my limp. I wouldn't stand a chance if I needed to run.

I stared at the backpack for a few moments, suspicious. Who the hell had left it here? And why? Slowly, I zipped it open and gasped when I saw the contents. This was my lucky day.

There was bread inside the backpack, some sandwiches, a few apples and even a croissant! There were also three water bottles. The last items I pulled out were a pack of Q-tips and an antiseptic.

"Oh God," I said, my eyes widening in realization.

This backpack must belong to the man whose house I'd broken into! He saw me get hit by that car and must've known I was hurt. But how did he find me? _Oh, don't be stupid now, Rose,_ I chastised myself, shaking my head. He probably just walked around town, saw me cooped up inside this car and thought, _Hey, that's that silly little girl who broke into my house!_

I thought it was strange he'd give me food and supplies after what I'd done. He should be angry at me, but instead he was being thoughtful. I didn't know what to make of it. At least it was a relief to know that he didn't call the cops on me. _Yet._

I almost felt guilty as I tore off a piece of the bread and stuffed it inside my mouth. _Thank you, kind sir._ I ate one of the apples and then finished with the croissant. I'd almost gulped down a whole bottle of water when I forced myself to stop. I needed to ration my food and water until I could get my hands on more.

Feeling satisfied at last, I got out of the car, locking it behind me, and made my way down to the river. It took longer than usual because of my leg. I hobbled to a secluded spot and then stripped, carefully peeling off my jeans. The wound started bleeding again a little, but I ignored it for now. I needed to wash up first.

Checking my surroundings one last time, I waded into the river in my bra and panties. When I ran away, I'd never thought I'd have to wash myself in a goddamn river. But I was stupid back then – stupid and naïve. I didn't think running away wasn't a mistake, though. I'd rather wash myself in the dirtiest river than go back home.

When I was finished, I stepped out of the water and pulled on clean clothes. I was grateful to be wearing shorts again because it was already hot outside. I knew I should be thankful it was warm outside because if I had to live inside a car during winter, I probably wouldn't have survived. Of course it would become cold in a few months, but I didn't want to think about that just yet. I just wanted to get through today.

Grabbing the backpack, I sat down under the shadow of a tree and poured some Betadine over my knee. It stung for a while, but there was nothing I could do about that. The bruises made it look like I'd been in a horrible accident, though, but I counted myself lucky nothing was broken.

Slowly, I rose and picked up the backpack, slinging it over my shoulder before hobbling back to my car. On the way back, I passed an older man with his dog. He stared at me with wide eyes so I forced a smile on my face, letting him know I was just fine.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Every hour or so, I got out of the car and walked a few blocks. I passed the man with the dog again; he still had that horrified look on his face, but he said nothing when I greeted him cheerfully this time.

I ate a sandwich for dinner, read a few chapters from the novel Lissa had given me before my departure. When dusk settled, I reclined in my seat and waited for sleep to take over. Of course I couldn't fall asleep because my head was filled with worries about what I was going to do now, but mainly I worried about Lissa.

I wondered how she was doing and what she was doing right now. I wanted to call her badly, but I'd had to turn off my phone because the battery was almost dead. I had my charger with me, but nothing to plug into. It was stupid of me to forget my power bank at home, but I _had_ packed in a rush. And how long would've lasted my power bank anyway?

I glanced at the backpack sitting next to me, which seemed to have been glaring at me all evening. It was making me feel guilty. _Maybe I should return it…_ Looking down at my watch, I saw it was half past ten. Not too late to make another short walk.

Grabbing the empty backpack, I walked down the streets until I reached my destination. I watched the house for a while from across the street, contemplating if I should take the risk. The lights were off inside the house so maybe he'd already gone to bed. Or maybe he wasn't even home. Either way, nothing moved at the house so I guess it was safe enough.

Going as fast as my leg allowed, I crossed the street and dropped the bag at his front door. I already felt a lot better as I walked back to my car. I wished I could've written him some sort of a thank you note, but I didn't have a pen or paper.

Settling back into my seat ten minutes later, I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Today had been another long day, but I was glad it hadn't been one without food or drink. I realized I'd have to come up with a new plan soon, though, because I couldn't stay here forever. But that were worries for tomorrow… Even though it was still warm outside, it had become chilly inside the car. I threw a blanket over my legs and tried to make myself comfortable before falling asleep.

When I opened my eyes the next morning, the backpack was sitting on the hood of my car again.

* * *

 _There you go! I hope you liked it! Any ideas on why Rose is living in a car? Next chapter will be all DPOV! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Have a great weekend! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you very much for the reviews, favorites and follows! It's much appreciated! :)_

 _ **To the guest reviewer named Sky:** No, that's not right :P Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **DPOV**

"I'm so glad you installed an alarm. I feel _so_ much safer now."

I refrained from rolling my eyes as I led her to the door. All evening she'd been inspecting the new locks and the newly installed alarm, telling me over and over again how much safer this house was now. I was kind of relieved she was leaving; she was going to her friend's birthday party.

"Thanks for coming over, Tasha," I told her, opening the front door. I gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Have fun with your friends."

"It's too bad you can't come with me," she said, pouting at me. "All my friends are bringing their boyfriends."

I almost cringed when she said _boyfriends_. We'd never really talked about this, but apparently she assumed I was her boyfriend. Maybe I was. I mean, we'd been seeing each other for two months.

"I know, I'm sorry. But I promised my mother I'd Skype with her, and I haven't talked to her in a while."

She sighed deeply. "Fine. I guess I'll-" She cut herself off and looked down, then exclaimed, "What the hell?"

I followed her gaze and looked at the ground. My backpack was sitting on the doorstep; Tasha had bumped right into it. She picked it up and handed it to me, confused.

"Is this yours?"

"No," I lied quickly, trying to keep my face straight.

"Then what's it doing here?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

I actually did know what it was doing there. So far I'd managed to keep it a secret from Tasha, but it had to come out sometime. It surprised me it had taken this long, honestly. When I'd left my backpack on the hood of that girl's car, I hadn't expected to see it back. But when I'd opened my front door the next morning, I'd found it empty on my doorstep.

I didn't know what came over me then, but I'd run to the store again for food supplies and placed the bag back on the hood of the girl's car before work. The next morning the backpack was sitting on my doorstep again. And so it had continued for the rest of the week. The girl never saw me when I dropped it off, though, and I never saw her when she returned my backpack.

Tasha arched an eyebrow at me. "Oh, really?"

"My neighbor borrowed it." I didn't know why I was lying to her, but somehow I felt like I couldn't tell her the truth. She'd definitely get mad. Even if I tried to explain, I knew she wouldn't understand. "You know him. Victor."

"The old man with his big hound?" Tasha said, looking over her shoulder at Victor's house.

I nodded vehemently. "Yes, that's him."

"Why didn't he ring the bell?"

I shrugged. "He's shy. He saw your car in the driveway and didn't want to disturb us." I paused, plastering a smile across my face. "Probably."

"Hmm." Tasha eyed me suspiciously.

I glanced back into the hallway. "I'm really sorry, Tasha, but I've got to go now. Mama's waiting."

"Oh. Right," she said. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she kissed me deeply. "Good night, Dimka."

"Night."

I waved as she pulled out of the driveway and then hurried inside. I installed myself in front of my laptop screen and fired up Skype. Only a few moments later, Mama's smiling face filled up the screen. My oldest sister, Karolina, had recently bought my mother a laptop so she could Skype with me and Viktoria, my youngest sister. I could tell Mama liked this a lot better than talking over the phone.

"Hey Dimka! How have you been?"

I smiled back, happy to see her. "I'm good. How are you, Mama?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." I paused. "How's Babushka doing? Is she alright?"

Mama pulled a face. "She fell down the stairs yesterday morning, but she's fine," she added quickly when she saw the worried look on my face. "She's okay. She didn't break anything. Just some bruises. She was very lucky."

"Thank God," I murmured, relieved to hear that she was fine.

"You know how she is," Mama said, giving me a wry smile. "Never accepts any help because she's too stubborn."

"At least you were able to convince her to move in with you," I answered. "That's something."

We talked about my sisters then. Karolina had a new job as an assistant at a law firm while Sonya had moved in with her new boyfriend. I was happy to hear they were doing well.

"Have you heard anything from Vika?" Mama asked, a look of concern crossing her face. "I haven't heard from her since last Sunday. I'm starting to worry."

"I haven't heard from her either, but you know her," I reassured her. "She's having the time of her life right now so she won't be checking in as often."

"I hope she likes it in Los Angeles," Mama sighed. "It's a big change from New York."

I chuckled. "I'm sure she likes it. She did fine when we moved all the way from Russia to New York so L.A. shouldn't be a problem."

Mama sighed again. "Right."

"Don't worry, Mama. She's probably caught up with work."

Working as a model seemed an exhausting kind of life to me, having heard Viktoria's stories, but she was more than happy with her job. I had to admit I hadn't been thrilled at first when Viktoria came home with the news she was going to model for some ad campaign because I thought it might be a sham.

We'd been in America less than a year when she was scouted, and I thought it was weird that someone just happened to stumble upon her and wanted to offer her a contract at his model agency, but I'd attended her first photoshoot to make sure she wasn't going to be kidnapped or something equally wicked. After a long conversation with her agent, I was reassured she was in safe hands.

From that moment on, things went quickly for my sister and now she'd moved away to the other side of the country. It had been difficult for me at the beginning, because it had been just me and her, and now it was just me. But that's why she'd given me Donatello, I guess. So I wouldn't be too lonely.

She nodded. "How are things with Tasha?" she asked.

I was silent for a few moments because I didn't really know how to respond to her question. "I guess…things are okay."

Mama frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, sure," I said with a nod. "Everything's fine."

But Mama still looked doubtful. "Oh, Dimka. I was really hoping she'd be the one for you."

I was certain that Tasha was not, but then again… I didn't believe in true love. "We'll see how it goes," I said evasively. "I like her, but she can be a handful sometimes. And you know I need my alone time."

"I know you need your space, but you don't want to be alone for the rest of your life, right?" Mama said sympathetically.

I looked down. _I don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone I just_ like _either_ , I thought. I didn't want to say it out loud, though, so I shrugged instead. "Can we drop it for now? I don't want to talk about her…"

"Fine, let me just say one more thing."

I gave her an expectant look.

"When you meet the right girl, you'll know it."

I wasn't so sure about that, but I nodded anyway. Thankfully, she changed the subject after that. An hour later, we said our goodbyes and I went to bed.

I'd set my alarm so I could drop off my backpack before heading to work. Nowadays, I rode my bike around town so I wouldn't lose too much time going back and forth. The girl was still asleep – as always – when I placed my bag on the hood. I looked at her sleeping form for a few moments, wondering how long she was going to stick around. I thought that if she could, she would've left already. But for some reason she stayed.

My work day was uneventful, as usual, but that's the way I liked it. When there were few customers in the bookstore, Alberta let me work on my sketches. I'd received an email from my agent, Ellen Kirova, that the publishing house was very pleased with the results and that they'd chosen the cover design they liked best. Now I could finally begin with the final stage.

However, when I came home, there was a surprise waiting. I slowed my bike down when I saw there was someone sitting on my doorstep. It didn't take long to realize it wasn't Tasha, but the strange girl. I stared at her, baffled. When she noticed me, she got to her feet.

My hands started to sweat as I came closer to my house. I didn't know why, but I felt nervous. She had a cautious look in her eyes, holding my backpack in her arms, as I came to a stop on my driveway and stepped off. We stared at each other for a few moments, both of silent, and then she thrust my backpack forward.

"Here," she said, breaking eye-contact. She looked nervous as well. "Thank you for helping me out, but I have to return this to you now – for good." She looked back up at me when she said that last part.

I accepted the bag from her. "Are you leaving?" I asked. _Why do I sound so disappointed?_ I thought with a frown.

She hesitated. "It doesn't matter if I'm leaving or not. I can't let you do this anymore. It's not…right." She stepped around me, keeping a safe distance. She was wearing shorts. Her right leg was still black and blue, but the wound on her knee had healed for the most part. "Not after what happened." She looked down, ashamed. "Not after what I did."

"I'm happy to help," I told her.

She shook her head adamantly. "It's not right," she repeated, taking another step back. Awkwardly, she glanced around the street, then tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry." I knew she wasn't apologizing for disrupting our new routine, but for breaking into my house.

"I'm not angry or upset," I said truthfully. "I'm just…" I shrugged, not even sure what I wanted to say. "I just want to help."

She smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. I blinked and looked away quickly, feeling embarrassed for thinking something like that. I didn't even know her.

"That's very kind of you," she said softly. She paused, then cleared her throat. "Just so you know… I don't break into people's houses on a regular basis." She kicked at a pebble, her cheeks reddening a little. "Only when I have no options left." Finally, she looked back up. "So thanks again for helping me out this week."

"You're welcome."

It looked like she was going to retreat, but for some reason I felt compelled to talk to her more.

"Are you hungry?" I blurted out. She stopped short, eyeing me carefully, probably trying to figure out if I could be trusted. "I have some leftovers from yesterday in the fridge. Mac and cheese. Do you like that?"

She bit down on her lower lip, hesitating. I felt stupid for asking. She didn't know me so why would she trust me and come inside to eat mac and cheese? She probably thought I was being a creep, though that wasn't my intention at all.

But then she said, "Okay."

Placing my bike against the wall, I unlocked the front door and let her in. She hesitated for a second so I gave her a smile that I hoped was reassuring.

"My name's Rose, by the way," she said as she followed me into the kitchen. "What's your name?"

"Dimitri," I answered. She nodded, then smiled shyly. "Take a seat."

There was still enough mac and cheese left for two, and I was actually starting to feel hungry myself, so I made a plate for myself as well. I offered her something to drink and then stared intently at the microwave until the mac and cheese was ready. While I stood there, I tried to think of something to talk about. Obviously, I was curious about her, but I didn't think it was polite to ask why she lived in her car. _What the hell are you doing, Dimitri?_

"Thanks," Rose said when I placed the plate in front of her.

"It's very hot so-"

She'd already had two bites before I could even finish my sentence. The heat didn't seem to bother her one bit. "This is really good," she said through a mouthful of pasta. Then she suddenly stopped eating and looked up at me, her cheeks reddening again. "Sorry. I'm just really hungry."

I chuckled. "It's fine. Go ahead."

I sat down across from her and started on my own plate. We were both silent as we ate, but thankfully it wasn't awkward. I kept stealing glances at her, wondering how old she was, wondering where she lived – at least, where she used to live, before she became homeless.

"I feel so much better now," she said when she'd finished, smiling widely at me. "This is the first warm meal I've had in a while." She looked embarrassed for a moment. Before I could respond, she asked, "Do you have an iPhone?"

I nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"Can I borrow your charger? I left mine in my car and I really need to charge my phone so I can call my sister."

So she had a sister. Where was she then? Why was Rose all by herself? Where were her parents?

"Of course," I answered, getting up to fetch it. "Do you want to call her right now? I'll give you some privacy."

"No, I'll call her later tonight," she said. "Thanks, though."

She smiled that beautiful smile again and I was momentarily speechless. I blinked again and started clearing the dishes to distract myself.

"Let me help you," Rose said as she scurried to her feet. I told her it was fine, but she was adamant on helping me. "It's the least I can do to repay you for your kindness."

"So, are you leaving?" I asked while we washed the dishes. She had given an evasive answer the first time I asked her that question.

She looked down at the plate she was drying off, quiet. "No," she said at last. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't have any money left to pay for gas," she admitted. "My tank is almost empty so I'm not going to get far. And if I'm going somewhere, it needs to be somewhere good." She paused. "It's also why I broke into your house. Because I ran out of money to buy food." She looked up at me, shame in her eyes. "I swear it was only for food. I didn't want to threaten you with a knife either but… I was desperate."

"It's okay," I said gently. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't mean to. And I didn't mean for you to get hit by a car either. I shouldn't have chased you."

"That's my own fault," Rose snorted. "I should've watched where I was going. You don't need to apologize for my stupidity."

"How's your leg?" I asked. "Does it hurt?"

She shrugged. "It's okay now. Still got some bruises, but at least I'm not limping anymore."

I made a face. That didn't sound too good. "Well, I'm sorry. My…friend tried to stop." If Tasha heard me calling her a _friend_ , she'd be so mad at me. "She was a little bit shocked herself when it happened, but you were gone so fast…"

"I was afraid you'd call the cops and let them arrest me for breaking and entering," she said. "Imagine my surprise when I found your backpack on the hood of my car the next morning."

I smiled. "How did you find out it was me?"

Rose laughed. "Seriously? It really wasn't that hard to figure out."

"Yeah, okay," I admitted, my smile widening. "I guess it was obvious."

We finished up with the dishes. Having nothing else to do, I stood around awkwardly as I tried to figure out what to say next.

"How old are you?" I asked at last, leaning against the countertop.

"Seventeen."

I nodded, mulling this over. She was still a teen. _Still a teen and you were gaping at her earlier when she smiled_ , I chastised myself. _Way to go, Dimitri._

I'd figured she was still young, but I'd kind of hoped she was eighteen. Or older. Because now I thought that a seventeen year old girl was beautiful. What was wrong with me? She was younger than Viktoria for God's sake!

"How old are _you_?" she asked, snapping me from my reverie.

"Twenty-four," I answered, almost reluctant.

Rose nodded and looked down at the floor. She checked her phone then, but it wasn't fully charged yet so I told her she was welcome to stay a little longer. She looked relieved at that and followed me into the living room.

"You have a turtle?" she exclaimed suddenly, walking over to the tank.

"Oh yeah," I said. That reminded me; I needed to feed him. Walking back to the kitchen, I opened the fridge and searched for some fresh veggies.

"What's his name?" Rose asked when I returned.

"Donatello," I said, holding my breath as I waited for her to laugh.

But all she said was, "Nice!" with a grin on her face. She watched him gnaw on a small piece of carrot.

"My sister gave him to me," I told her. "And she named him."

"I think your sister is funny," Rose said, smiling down at Don.

I smiled, too. "Yeah, she thought she was being funny, too."

Rose's smile faded then, and I wondered if she was thinking of her own sister. I knew I probably shouldn't because it wasn't any of my business, but I couldn't help but ask, "So you have a sister, too? Where is she now?"

Rose turned away from the tank. "She's…she's still at home." She cleared her throat. "I feel bad about leaving her, but I had to get away, you know." She looked up at me, a wry smile on her face. "I didn't get far, though."

"You can't go back home?" I asked, concerned.

She snorted. "No. I'm afraid that's not an option." Then she shook her head. "But I can't stay here either."

"Where are you from?"

"Scranton," she responded.

Wow. She really didn't get far. That was, like, a forty minute drive from here.

She saw the look on my face and smirked. "I know right! So many places I could've gone to, but I stranded in this small town." She cleared her throat and walked over to the other side of the living room, looking at the photographs of my family on the mantelpiece. "It was never my intention to go far anyway so I guess it doesn't matter."

"What was your intention then?" I asked curiously.

She sighed heavily before turning back around to face me. "I don't know. I left home in a hurry, with no plan whatsoever. All I knew was that I had to get out, but I can't go too far because I need to check in on my sister every now and then."

I nodded, but said nothing. I didn't want to push her or make her feel like she owed me answers after inviting her in for dinner. So I stayed quiet, waiting – hoping – for her to elaborate. When she did, she started rambling nervously, which was _kind of_ cute _. I shouldn't be finding this cute, though._

"So I've been going from town to town, trying to find work so I can find someplace to live, but it's difficult because I'm still a minor. It's too late for summer jobs – they're all taken already – but that's not what I want anyway. I want a fulltime job, but when I ask for it they start asking questions. Like where my parents are. So I keep driving, trying to find a suitable town for me, but now I can't anymore because my tank is almost empty and I've got no money left." She laughed without mirth. "I really should've thought things through before leaving home. But hey, that's me. I always pull this kind of-" She stopped abruptly, biting on her lower lip. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to – I guess I got carried away a little bit."

"It's fine," I told her, giving her a reassuring smile. "No need to apologize."

Rose furrowed her brows; she looked like she was struggling with something. But then she turned back to the mantelpiece, away from me. "You have a beautiful family. Looks like you've got more than one sister?"

I stepped forward, standing beside her as she looked at the photographs again. "Yes. I've got three sisters."

"Do all of them live here?"

I shook my head. "No, two of them live in my hometown with my mother and grandmother. In Russia. Viktoria, the youngest, lives in L.A. She's the one who gave me the turtle," I said, pointing at my little sister in the picture.

Rose studied the photograph. "Hey, wait a minute! Is that-" She gasped. "That's the girl from the Guess commercial on TV! Holy shit!"

I smiled, amused by her excited reaction. "Yeah…she's always dreamed big."

"Well, she's gorgeous. She's going to make it far."

The first thought that entered my mind was that Rose was gorgeous and that she could easily become a model as well if she wanted to, but obviously I couldn't say that. It would be wrong.

"So you're from Russia, huh?" Rose said, looking at me with a smile. "I noticed a slight accent, but I didn't want to ask because, well…" She shrugged awkwardly. "I didn't want to pry."

I was grateful for the change of subject. "Yeah, I'm from a small town, Baia, in Russia. I moved here for work – I'm an illustrator," I explained, "but I work part-time in a bookstore. My sister has always wanted to go to America so she came with me."

"This might be a stupid question, but what do you have to do as an illustrator?" Rose asked. "Obviously you draw stuff for people, but I'm guessing there's more to it."

"That's pretty much it, though," I replied. "Sometimes I do book cover designs, or drawings in children's books." I shrugged. "Various things."

"That's so cool!" Rose exclaimed. She sounded impressed. "So it's not just traditional art, huh? Nowadays artists use those computer programs to create art."

I nodded. "Yeah, but I still prefer a pencil and paper. It's a lot faster than working with a computer, honestly."

"Cool," she repeated, grinning. "I'm part Turkish part Scottish, by the way. Too bad I didn't inherit the red hair," she added with an adorable pout, tugging at one of her dark brown curls. "If there's one thing I'm jealous of, then it's my mom's hair." She paused, her smile disappearing. "I've never been to Turkey or Scotland, though."

I gave her an encouraging smile. "Maybe one day."

"Yeah, maybe," she answered, almost wistful. She glanced down at her watch and stepped back. The mood changed instantly. Clearing her throat again, Rose muttered, "I should probably head out now. I've imposed on you long enough."

"I don't mind," I answered hastily. Rose was nice to talk to. I hadn't had a conversation this easy and fun in a long time. Though I preferred being alone most of the time, this was actually kind of, well, nice.

Rose looked doubtful. "Really? Cause I can go…"

"No, it's okay," I told her. Suddenly, an idea hit me. I wasn't certain if it was a great idea because I didn't have time to think it through, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. "Actually, you know what… I've got a spare room so if you want to, you can crash here until you figure things out…"

Her eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"

"I know it sounds a little crazy, but-"

"It _is_ crazy!" she interrupted. "I don't want to sound ungrateful after everything you've done for me, Dimitri, but I can't accept this. It's too much."

I knew I should probably drop the subject, but I pushed on. "Think about it. You say you can't leave town, but you can't keep living in your car either." She started to protest. "It might be a fancy car, but you're not going to tell me it's comfortable to sleep in," I cut her off, arching an eyebrow at her.

Rose had no response for that. "I don't know you. You don't know me," she said after a few moments, eyeing me carefully. "It's absurd."

"Look, I know I'm a stranger to you and you've been probably taught not to trust strangers, but I swear I only want to help you out. I don't mean you any harm. I… I have a girlfriend," I added quickly, not wanting her to think I was some creep wanting to take advantage of her. _And now it's suddenly easy to say that I have a girlfriend… What the hell is up with me?_

Rose gave me a weird look, then laughed. "What? You think I'm afraid of you?" She shook her head, clearly amused. "No, it's not that. It's…" She sighed. "It's just… I can't let you do this for me! I don't want to be your charity work."

"That's not what I-" I shook my head, cutting myself off. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay," she said quietly, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"Look, it's your choice. If you'd rather leave town and find someplace else to settle down, I can give you money for gas," I suggested.

Rose looked up at me with narrowed eyes. "Why do you want to help me so badly?"

I shrugged because I honestly didn't know how to answer her question. I didn't know why I felt the urge to help her. I knew she didn't want me to pity her, which I didn't, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. She shouldn't have to live in her car. She should be able to go to school and make something of her future. I didn't know her well – if at all – but I knew enough to believe she deserved a better life.

So that's what I told her. "I don't know what happened at home that made you run away and I'm not going to ask because it's none of my business, but you must have your reasons. But whatever it is, it doesn't have to screw up your future, too."

"I can't pay rent," Rose said, looking at me with uncertainty. She looked like she didn't believe I was seriously offering her a place to sleep, to live. "I'll only be in your way."

"That's not true," I told her, "and I really don't care about the money. You can stay here indefinitely. Until you find a solution to your problem. But there's one thing I want you to do," I added.

She gave me an expectant look, waiting for me to continue.

"If you stay here, I want you to finish school," I told her. "Don't worry about not being able to pay me any rent. It's not important. What's important is that you're not dropping out. Your future will be much better if you have a diploma."

She eyed me for a long time, and I thought she was going to protest, but then she nodded slowly in understanding.

"But it's completely up to you if you decide to stay or not. Like I said before, if you want to move on to the next town, then I'll give you some money for gas and food."

Rose was quiet for a long time as she considered my offer. "Can I sleep on it? I'll come back tomorrow and give you my answer then."

I smiled. "Of course. You know where to find me."

* * *

 _There you go! What do you think of Dimitri's offer? Will Rose accept? I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a great day/evening! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you very much for all the reviews! I really appreciate it! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **RPOV**

My head was a jumble as I walked back to my car in the dusk. Dimitri had certainly given me a lot to think about. But where to start? His offer was definitely appealing. What was better than having a place to live – for free – and being able to go back to school at the end of August? I could go back to _my_ school, with _my_ friends. And I'd be able to see Lissa more often, which was the most important thing of all. The trip I'd have to make wasn't so bad; it was only a forty-minute drive, maybe thirty minutes without traffic.

I realized I'd told Lissa when I left that I was going to find a job and that, as soon as I'd earned enough money, I'd come and get her and take care of her. Of course Lissa being Lissa had protested and told me I should finish high school no matter what. Maybe she was right. Maybe Dimitri was right. It'd be better if I had a diploma.

But should I really be moving into a stranger's home? Sure, I'd gotten to know Dimitri a little bit tonight, but I still didn't really know him. I wasn't very trusting of people in general, but…he seemed like a good guy. _He is a good guy_ , I corrected myself. He'd provided food for me all week long and he'd invited me into his home – _after_ I broke into it. He was even offering me a place to stay. Seriously. How kind and caring could someone _be_? I had a good feeling about him, and that was something I didn't have often around people. But I really shouldn't be taking advantage of him like that. It wasn't right. _But damn, his offer is so good!_

With a heavy sigh, I stepped inside my car and reclined in my seat, dropping my feet on the dashboard. Yes, a bed to sleep in would be so much better than this – and softer! God, the benefits would be endless! I'd be able to charge my phone and call Lissa every day. And Mason. I could be a better girlfriend now. A girlfriend that he actually got to see from time to time.

That reminded me, my phone was charged so I could call them now. I had a lot of texts from Mase, asking where I was, but just one from Lissa, asking if I was okay. I decided to call her first.

"Rose?"

I smiled, happy to hear her voice. "Hey, Liss. How've you been?"

"Oh my God, I've been so worried!" Lissa exclaimed. "I thought something happened to you. You never replied to my text," she added accusingly.

"I'm sorry," I answered. "It took some time before I found a place to charge my phone. You know I forgot my power bank."

She sighed deeply. "I know. I'm alright, by the way."

"That's good to hear."

"How are you?"

"I'm…good," I said after a moment of hesitation. "I miss you, though."

"I miss you too." Lissa sounded sad all of a sudden. "I wish you could come home."

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "Y-you know I would if I could."

There was a moment of silence, and then, "I know."

"How are things at home anyway?" I asked.

"The same," she responded. "I stay a lot in my room, like you asked me to."

"That's good. And if they ask you to do something, you just do it, okay? Don't look for trouble."

Now she sounded annoyed. "I _know_. Don't worry. I'm not going to lose my temper like you did."

"Good," I said, satisfied with her answer. "But try to stay away from him as much as possible, okay?"

"You know he won't hurt me. He likes me," she said.

I couldn't help but scowl. "Yes, he likes you. But that's because you're a good girl. As long as you behave like a good girl, you'll be fine. But don't make him like you too much," I added as dark thoughts formed in my mind.

"I will behave," she promised.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Liss. I know it's difficult right now, but I promise I'll come and see you soon."

"Really?" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes," I told her, smiling again even though she couldn't see it. "I, uh…" I paused, hesitating for a brief moment. "I might have found a place to live. Once I've settled down, I'll visit you."

"How long do you think it'll take?" she asked.

 _I hope not too long. First gotta find a job to pay for gas, though._

"Not long," I answered in a reassuring voice. "I'll be back before you know it. But you can't tell them, okay? It's our secret."

"I know. I won't-"

Suddenly, I heard a new voice in the background scream, "LISSA!"

"Oh, I've got to go," she whispered hurriedly. "I'm supposed to be asleep now. Bye, Rose. I'm glad you found a place to live."

"Good night, Liss. I'll see you-"

But she'd already hung up. I scowled at my phone, upset that my conversation with Lissa had been disrupted by that asshole. I'd recognized his angry, demanding voice. I hoped Lissa was going to be okay. _She will be okay, Rose. She's too sweet to get in trouble…_

I repeated this mantra until I actually started to believe it. It didn't take my worries away completely, but it made me feel a little bit better about myself. Lissa _would_ be okay. She was a survivor.

Instead of replying to Mason's many texts, I decided to call him as well. He wasn't so happy to hear me, though, which was understandable.

"Where the hell are you, Rose?" he demanded. "You disappeared and never told me _anything_. You just texted me that you'd be away for some time. Lissa doesn't tell me anything either. Do you realize it's been _three weeks_? I texted you so many times! Do you even realize how worried I've been?!"

"I'm sorry, Mase," I said in a quiet voice, feeling really bad now. "I really am. I know I should've called, but my battery-"

" _Should have called_?" he cut me off. "You should have told me in person that you were leaving! Not just run off in the middle of the night without telling anyone except Lissa! I'm your boyfriend for God's sake."

"I know, I know," I groaned. "I'm an idiot, okay? Please don't be mad, Mason. I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"You'd better!" he warned. He really was pissed off. "Now, where are you?"

I didn't tell him exactly where I was because I was afraid he might come and get me right away, but I described the neighborhood, emphasizing on the fact that I was safe here and that I was doing alright. I told him my reasons for running away – not all of it, though – which made him calm down a little bit. I also told him why I hadn't contacted him in so long.

"But I'm okay now," I promised. "I found a place to crash for a while. I'll be coming back to school. Maybe I can even see you before-"

"What?" Mason exclaimed. "Are you planning to stay away until the end of summer?"

I hesitated. "Mase… You know I can't go back."

It was quiet on the other end of the line for a few moments. "You can come and stay with me," he said at last. Another pause. "Please, Rose," he pleaded then. "Come home."

I knew that if Lissa had begged me to, I'd have trouble saying no to her. But it was different with Mason. "I can't," I said, only feeling slightly sorry for rejecting his offer. "It's sweet of you that you want to help, but you can't. And I can't live with you. What would your parents say?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does. And, besides…it wouldn't work."

I could almost see him scowl. "Why not?"

"Because…" I realized I needed to be careful with my words now. "We'd be together _all the time_. We both like to have our separate lives, don't we? You have your friends, I have mine. We'd be cooped up together the whole time."

"Maybe," he said slowly. "But I wouldn't mind. Honestly. It's only temporary, right? Until you work things out with your mom."

"My mom's only part of the problem," I told him, "and you know it. You _know_ I can't go back home. Like, ever. Not when _he_ lives there."

"What about Lissa then?" Mason demanded. "Are you going to abandon her, too?"

I was momentarily speechless because of the hostile way Mason had said those words. I couldn't say that didn't hurt. Clenching my jaw, I snapped, "I'm not abandoning anyone!"

"Yes, you are."

Angry tears sprang in my eyes. "Lissa understands why I left. She'll be fine, I know she will. Even if I don't live at home, I'll still look after her! And like I said, I'll be coming back, but I'm just not going to live there anymore. I _can't_."

"But why?" Mason pressed. "I know he's an ass, but you've tolerated him for nearly two years now! Why can't you hold on until graduation?"

I was getting more and more furious by the minute. I knew that if I didn't hang up right now I'd say something I would regret. "I've got to go, Mason," I said with clenched teeth. I refused to cry over this. I was _not_ going to cry because he'd hurt my feelings. "Talk to you later."

He was still talking when I ended the call, but I didn't care. I knew that if I told him the whole truth he'd be more understanding, but I couldn't. It shouldn't be this hard, though. He was my boyfriend after all.

"Dammit!" I cursed loudly, slamming my hand against the steering wheel several times. It made feel slightly better afterwards, but my hand stung.

I got even less sleep that night because I was still angry about the way my conversation with Mason had ended. I was too stubborn to call him back, though. Maybe later, when I'd cooled off.

Dimitri had given me some food before I'd left his house last night so I started on my breakfast, hoping it would distract me from my troubles. As I ate, I saw a tall young man jog down the street. I sat up straighter when I saw that the man was Dimitri. When he came closer, I ducked and waited until I thought he'd passed my car. I realized I was being ridiculous, and if he decided to stop to say hello, I would be _so_ embarrassed for trying to hide from him.

After a good minute, I sat back up and turned in my seat to watch him jog down the rest of the street, relieved he hadn't stopped at my car. Even from this distance, I could see he was fit and must work out a lot. I'd definitely noticed his nice biceps last night when he had me over for dinner. I frowned at my own thoughts. Why the hell was I thinking about a stranger's biceps? Even if that stranger was good-looking and kind. _He isn't a stranger anymore. Not really._

I turned back around in my seat with a heavy sigh and finished my sandwich. While I'd told Lissa and Mason I'd found a place to live, I wasn't sure yet how I was going to tell Dimitri I was going to take him up on his offer. It looked like he'd been on his way back home so I guess I could go over now, but the thought made me nervous. It had to be done, though. _Maybe he's changed his mind. Maybe he's realized I'm only trouble…_

"That's enough," I told myself sternly, shaking my head. "I'm going over right now. I'm doing this."

Determined, I opened up the car door and stepped out before making my way over to Dimitri's house.

 **DPOV**

When I came home from my run, my neighbor from across the street was lingering near the hedge, with his foxhound. I saw him looking at me so I gave him a small wave before crossing my lawn. But then Victor pulled at the leash of his dog and walked over to me.

"Hello," he said, inclining his head to the blue sky. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

I nodded. "It certainly is."

"Bandit, stop," Victor chastised when his dog started jumping up and down around me, barking. "He just wants you to pet him," he said apologetically, looking up at me.

"It's alright," I said with a smile as I scratched Bandit behind his ears. He stopped barking immediately.

"He's good company," Victor said with an affectionate smile, patting Bandit's back. "But he's very, uh, energetic. I've got to walk him three times a day." He gave a small laugh. "Sometimes it's hard to keep up with him."

"How old is he?"

"Four years," Victor answered. He paused for a moment, hesitant. "These days, I always see this strange girl on my walks with Bandit."

 _Aha. There it is_. I knew Victor hadn't just come over to chat. If there's one thing I knew about him, it was that he was nosy. He was also always the first to know if something happened around the neighborhood. He certainly loved his gossip.

"I don't think she's from around here," he continued. He leaned in closer and whispered, as if it was some big secret he was telling me, "She sleeps in a car, I think."

I hid my smile. "Hmm."

"Expensive car, too," he added with a firm nod. Then he shrugged. "But of course, we can't know for sure she sleeps in there. I see her sometimes inside it, though, during the day."

I knew he was trying to get some information from me, but I wasn't going to indulge his curiosity. He must've seen Rose around my house, otherwise he wasn't telling me all this.

"Sometimes I see her wander around the neighborhood." Victor looked up at me expectantly. "I've seen her here, too. Leaving your house."

I frowned. How old did one have to become to be this nosy? He looked desperate to get some answers. The old man probably didn't have anything else to do except spy on his neighbors.

"Are you two acquainted?" he asked at last.

"Yes," I answered, almost reluctant.

"Then you must know-"

I cleared my throat loudly. "Victor, I've got to run some errands so..." I started to retreat, taking out my key to unlock the front door. "It was good to see you."

"Of course, of course," Victor muttered, an apologetic look crossing his face. "Don't let me keep you. Come, boy." He tugged at Bandit's leach and the dog followed him across the street.

I slipped inside the house and started for the bathroom to take a shower. I actually didn't have to run errands, but now I _had_ to because Victor would probably watch through his window until he saw me leave. _That man is too curious for his own good._

At least, I was able to keep my curiosity in check. Like this morning. I'd passed Rose's car on my run again, but I hadn't stopped to look if she was there. After my offer, I felt a little bit embarrassed. Maybe I shouldn't have blurted out that she could stay at my house. It had obviously caught her off guard – and honestly, I'd caught myself by surprise as well. I liked living alone, and now I'd invited someone to live in my house – practically a stranger.

But I didn't exactly regret it. If Rose came by and told me she wanted to stay, I would let her. She was probably never going to admit it, but I believed she could use a little bit of help. I wasn't sure she would accept my help, though. She'd been hesitant last night, but who wouldn't be? It was only normal. After all, she'd be moving in with someone she didn't know one bit. I hoped she realized I didn't mean her any harm, that I only wanted to help her out and give her a fresh start.

I'd barely stepped out of the shower when the doorbell rang. _That'll be Victor probably, wondering when I'm going to run my errands…_ Quickly, I threw on some fresh clothes and went downstairs to open the front door. To my surprise, it was Rose who was standing on my doorstep.

"Oh, hey," I said, offering a smile.

"Hey," she said, looking awkward. She glanced over my shoulder, then back at me. "Are you busy right now?"

"No," I responded quickly, pushing open the door further with my shoulder. "Come in."

Rose bit down on her lower lip, hesitating for a moment before stepping into my hallway. Before I closed the door, I saw Victor watching through his front window before he closed the curtains abruptly. Shaking my head, I shut the door and led Rose into the living room.

"So…what's up?" I asked, trying to appear casual.

Rose walked around the couch, then stopped and looked up at me. "I've been thinking about your proposal…" Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she started twisting the ends around her fingers.

"And?" I prompted, feeling a little bit nervous.

Rose gnawed on her lower lip again, still pulling at her hair. "And…yes." She let go of her hair and crossed her arms. "I accept."

I didn't know why I felt so relieved. "Okay, great," I said, beaming at her.

"There's one condition, though," she added with a frown.

I cocked my head, arching an eyebrow. "Which is?"

Rose pursed her lips as she studied my face, then blurted out, "I'm not going to be your maid. I'll clean up my mess, but don't expect me to play your housewife, okay?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. Her frown deepened so I sobered up quickly. "I really didn't expect you to," I answered, clearing my throat.

Rose brightened up. "Good. I'll try and find a weekend job, though, so I can pay rent."

"I told you-"

"I know what you said," she cut me off, "but I would feel guilty if I didn't pay you _something_. You understand?"

I nodded. "Okay."

"Then there's one more thing…" she said slowly.

"Shouldn't I be making the demands?" I joked.

Rose cut me a look, but smiled reluctantly. "Is your girlfriend okay with this?"

I stared at her, lips parted. "Umm…" I hadn't even thought about how I was going to explain to Tasha that I was taking in a homeless girl. She would be _so_ mad. But this was my house. She wasn't even here that often. "She's okay with this," I said at last, recovering from my surprise. "Don't worry about her."

Rose looked relieved. "Okay. It's a deal!"

"It's a deal," I echoed after a few moments. This was so surreal. I guess I'd never expected her to say yes, but this was really happening. I had a roommate now. _I hope you know what you're doing, Dimitri…_

"Nice alarm you got there at your front door, by the way," she told me, grinning now. "Looks brand new. Did you install it especially for me?"

"Yup. Changed the locks, too," I said, grinning back. "But I bet you can pick those as well."

She smiled sheepishly. "Probably."

I looked at her, amused. "Where did you learn to do that anyway?"

"My dad," she responded, and her smile faded. "He… He was forgetful sometimes. Left his keys everywhere. And when he couldn't find them, he'd just pick the lock. He taught me in case I'd be like him and forget stuff too." She smiled again, but it was sad. "A little bit of father-daughter bonding, he called it." I noticed she talked about him in the past tense, as if he wasn't around anymore. But before I could say anything, she added cheerfully, "I can show you sometime if you like!"

"How about a tour of the house first?" I suggested, chuckling. "Not that it's big…"

"It's perfect," Rose commented. A small smile tugged at her lips. "It's an upgrade from sleeping inside a car for sure."

"I'll show you your room first," I said, heading for the stairs. "Unless you've already snooped around the house the first time you came around?" I added jokingly.

"Ha! No, I swear I stuck to the kitchen," Rose said, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She rubbed her stomach. "Food was the only thing on my mind."

On our way over to the spare room, I showed her the bathroom and told her where my bedroom was. When I opened the door to the spare room, she followed me inside.

"I know it's not huge, and there's only a bed and a closet," I said, giving her an apologetic look, "but I hope you'll be okay with this. We can buy a desk or whatever you want to fill up your room. It hasn't been used in a while so it's a little bit stuffy in here, but nothing that can't be fixed."

"It's perfect," Rose said again as she looked around the room with wide eyes. "Thank you so much for this." Then she turned to look at me. "I thought you lived here alone."

"I do," I answered. "This is just the guest room for when my sister comes over…"

Rose stared at me. "Oh. So I'm taking her room? What if she comes over again?"

I hadn't worked that one out yet. I hadn't even _thought_ about that yet, to be honest. "Umm, I guess I'll take the couch then." When I saw the look on her face, I added quickly, "Don't worry about it. If she happens to visit soon, I'll figure something out."

"Okay," Rose said after a moment of hesitation.

I gave her a reassuring smile. "You can do with this room whatever you want. If you want to paint it a new color, that's fine."

She raised a surprised eyebrow at me. "Wow, you're really trying to make me feel at home, don't you?"

My cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "It was just a suggestion. This is your room now." I shrugged, turning for the door. "I don't care."

I heard Rose laugh behind me, but then she put her hand on my arm and I stopped in my tracks when I felt an electric jolt run through my body. _Huh._ Turning back around, I looked at her smiling face.

"Thank you," she said earnestly. "You're very kind."

I returned her smile. "You're very welcome, Rose."

Realizing her hand was still on my arm, she pulled back. Clearing her throat, she said, "I should probably get my stuff then."

I nodded. "You can park your car in my driveway."

With another smile, she left the room. I followed her downstairs and stood outside – more like _paced_ – until she returned with her car. While I waited, I tried to figure out how I was going to bring the news to Tasha. I knew that, no matter how well I explained it, she was going to be raging mad at me.

But then I concluded that I didn't care.

* * *

 _Woohoo, she's moving in! So what did you think of this chapter? Did you like it? What are your thoughts on Lissa and Mason? Was Mason exaggerating? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful weekend! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you all so very much for your reviews, favorites and follows! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **RPOV**

I let out a sigh of contentment when I stepped under the shower. A slow smile spread across my face as water ran down my back, and then a small laugh escaped my lips. It had been three weeks! Three weeks since I'd showered.

Sure, I'd always managed to find a way to clean myself up, but a shower was so much better. It was everything. _And tonight I'll be sleeping in a bed as well…_ I think this was the happiest I'd felt since my departure from home. The only thing that would make this perfect was if I had Lissa by my side, but soon I'd be able to visit her. That was good enough for now.

After my shower, I towel-dried my hair because Dimitri didn't own a hair dryer. The few clothes I had with me, Dimitri had put in the washer earlier today so I'd be able to put on fresh clothes after my shower. It was a warm night so I wore shorts and a tank top.

Dimitri was in the living room when I came downstairs, reading a novel. I hesitated for a brief moment at the door, but then stepped inside. He looked up immediately and gave me a warm smile.

"Feel better?" he asked.

I grinned. "Much better. Thank you."

Dimitri shook his head. "You don't have to thank me, Rose."

"I do." I approached him slowly. I glanced at the couch and he nodded for me to sit down. I sat on the other end of the couch, tucking my feet under me. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

He smirked. "I have an inkling." Then his playful look disappeared and he looked serious again. "But seriously, stop thanking me. I'm just doing what everyone would do."

I disagreed, but I said nothing. Not a lot of people would invite a stranger to live with them.

"What are you reading?" I asked, changing the subject.

Dimitri glanced down at his book. "Oh," he said with an embarrassed smile as he closed it. "A Western."

"A Western?" I repeated. "So… Cowboys and Indians?" He nodded. "That's cool. I guess now I know why you were wearing that duster," I added with another grin.

He looked up at me, arching an eyebrow. "What?"

"The first time I saw you," I explained. "When I was breaking and entering, and you came home unexpectedly-"

"It wasn't unexpected-"

"For _you_ ," I cut him off, my voice teasing. "Anyway, you were wearing a duster then." My grin widened. "Cowboys wear dusters all the time so I figure you like the Wild West a lot, huh?"

Dimitri held up his hands in surrender. "You got me." I laughed and he started laughing too. "You should become a detective with those deduction skills."

I flung one of the throw pillows at his face, but he caught it just in time. "Now you're mocking me!"

He tried to keep a straight face as he said, "No, I'm being totally serious. You could be Sherlock's sidekick."

"He already has a sidekick," I shot back. I was still laughing. It was strange that I felt so at ease with someone I barely knew. But it felt good. It felt really good.

"Right," Dimitri said, and his serious façade slipped. He smiled again and it lit up his whole face – he had a very handsome face, I had to admit. The few times I'd seen him, he usually had his brown hair tied back into a ponytail, but now it was loose, framing that gorgeous face of his.

I blinked in surprise when I realized what the hell I was thinking. _You have a boyfriend, Rose. His name's Mason, remember?_ I chastised myself for having those kind of thoughts about a stranger. Clearing my throat, I said, "Well, I should let you get back to your reading. I'm going to bed."

Dimitri's smile disappeared at my abrupt change of mood. "Okay… Good night, Rose."

"Good night, Dimitri."

I got up from the couch and offered him one last unconvincing smile before hurrying out of the living room. Walking into my room, I closed the curtains and crawled into bed in the dark, pulling the soft comforter over me. _Oh, this is so good._ I fell asleep with a smile on my face and it was the best night of sleep I'd had in a long while because all my worries had faded into nothing.

When I woke up the next morning and went downstairs to the kitchen, Dimitri was already there, having breakfast by himself. He looked up at me when I entered and gave me a radiant smile.

"Good morning," I said, yawning, as I sat down across from him.

"Did you get a good night's sleep?" he asked.

I gave him a broad, happy smile. "I slept like a baby. Best night I've had in a while!"

Dimitri chuckled. "Oh, good. That bed is old, and the mattress isn't that soft either. I thought you might-"

I waved his worries away. "No, no. It was perfect. After sleeping in a car for three weeks, any bed will do."

He pushed his chair back and got up. "Do you want coffee?"

I pulled a face. "No, thanks."

"You don't like coffee?" he asked as he refilled his own mug. "I've got orange juice, apple juice…water? Do you want water?"

"Orange juice is fine, actually," I told him.

"Okay, just take whatever you want," he said, turning to look at me. "This is your home now, too."

I gave him a grateful smile. I was glad that this wasn't awkward, especially after my sudden retreat last night. I helped myself to some very thin pancakes.

"Did you make this yourself?" I asked as I poured some maple syrup over it.

"Yeah," he answered, sitting back down.

"What is it?" I took a careful bite and smiled. "It looks like pancakes, but it's so thin!"

"Well, in Russia they call it Blini," Dimitri responded.

"It's really good," I told him with an appreciative nod.

Dimitri pushed the plate with Blinis towards me, then got up again. "You can have the rest. I've had enough."

I beamed at him as he handed me a glass of orange juice.

 _Oh God, I think I've landed my ass in heaven!_

 **DPOV**

I had the day off work so I decided to call Tasha and ask her to come over so we could talk. I would have gone to her place, but Rose was out for a walk, and I forgot to give her the spare key so I couldn't exactly leave. I kind of had the feeling Tasha wasn't going to be staying long anyway so I might as well invite her over while Rose was out.

When I called her, she sounded happy. She said she'd come over right away and I waited nervously in the hallway, pacing the floor and trying to figure out how I was going to break the news to her.

"Did you finally buy yourself a car?" Tasha exclaimed when she arrived, looking back at the Audi parked in my driveway.

"No, that's not mine."

Tasha looked at me with confusion. "You have a visitor? Is your sister here?"

I shook my head and forced a smile onto my face as I closed the front door behind her. "No, I'll explain in a minute."

Tasha turned around to kiss me, flinging her arms around my neck, but I wasn't really into it right now so I gently pushed her off of me. "What's wrong?" she asked with a pout. She probably thought she was being cute, but it didn't have any effect on me.

I cleared my throat. "I need to tell you something."

Tasha followed me into the living room and I told her to take a seat. Then I disappeared into the kitchen to fetch her a glass of water because she might need it. At first I wanted to sit down next to her, but then I thought better of it. I walked around the coffee table, keeping a safe distance in case she freaked out.

"Dimka, what's wrong?" she said in a small voice, her eyes wide in fear. "You're acting all weird. Whose car is that?"

"It's Rose's," I answered.

She looked even more confused now than she had a few minutes ago, which was understandable because she had no idea who Rose was. But once I told her…

I wrung my hands nervously before looking up at her. "Remember the girl that broke in here?"

She nodded slowly, then started to scowl. "Yes, of course."

"I found her a few blocks away last week, sleeping in the car that's now parked out front," I told her, "and-"

"I'll bet she stole that car," Tasha snorted, crossing her arms. I stared at her for a long time. Then, suddenly, realization dawned on her and she exclaimed, "Wait a minute! She's _here_?!"

"Technically, she's out for a walk," I said, forcing another smile onto my face, which disappeared quickly when I saw the look on Tasha's face. "But yes. She's here."

Tasha frowned at me, as if she didn't understand what I was saying. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. "Why?" she asked at last, the look on her face darkening.

I hesitated for a brief moment. "Well… I've invited her."

Tasha's mouth fell open as she gaped at me in shock. "I – I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying right now," she said with a small laugh. I think a part of her thought this was all a bad joke I was playing on her. Unfortunately for me, this wasn't a joke.

"She was hurt," I explained. "Her leg was hurt so… I gave her supplies and food." Tasha started to frown again, but I didn't let it discourage me. "I did that for about a week and-"

"So Victor didn't borrow the backpack, huh?" Tasha cut me off again. She took the glass of water from the coffee table and brought it to her lips to drink. "It was that girl who put it on your doorstep."

I was growing a little bit irritated with her because she wouldn't let me finish and a lot less anxious about telling her the truth. "Yes, but that's not important right now. What's important is that I've decided to take her in."

It took a moment for Tasha to realize what I'd said, but when she did she choked on her water and started coughing loudly. "W-what?" she spluttered, placing the glass back down so violently that water sloshed over the rim onto my coffee table. Before I could explain myself, she sprang up from the couch and exclaimed in outrage, "You can't possibly take her in!"

I remained calm. "I already have."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Excuse me?"

I was glad the coffee table was in between us because she looked furious. Still I said, "You heard me perfectly well, Tasha."

"Oh my God, this is unbelievable!" Tasha's voice was growing louder by the minute. "The fact that you invited her in after everything that's happened is already bad enough – and I'm not even saying anything about giving her food all week – but now you actually want to take her in?!"

"Like I said, I already have taken her in," I answered, clenching my jaw. "She's moved in, which is why her car is parked in the driveway."

"How could you?" she screamed all of a sudden. I felt the urge to cover my ears. "She's a stranger! A stranger that _broke into your house_! And now you're inviting her to stay? You're insane!"

I suppressed a sigh. "Tasha, please calm down."

"I will not calm down!" she screeched, her hands curling into fists. "Do you even realize what you've done? Who knows how dangerous that girl is!"

I rolled my eyes. "She's a seventeen year old girl. She's not dangerous."

"She broke into your house!"

I blew out a breath. "Yes, I think we've established that already."

Tasha cut me a look and this time I did sigh. I'd known she was going to be mad. I'd known she wasn't going to understand. Why was I even bothering, honestly?

"You should have at least told me," Tasha hissed, coming closer. "You should have discussed this with me before making a decision."

"Look, I understand you're angry that I didn't tell you sooner," I admitted, trying to pacify her, "and I'm sorry about that. But this isn't your decision to make. This is my house so it's my decision, really. You're not even here that often so what's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" she shouted, hands on her hips now as she glared at me. She was only inches away from me now. I was pretty sure she was trying to intimidate me, but it wasn't working. "Are you for real, Dimitri? How am I supposed to feel safe here when there's a stranger in the house? What if she tries to steal money from my purse?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "You're kidding me, right?"

Tasha narrowed her eyes at me. "No."

No longer able to hide my annoyance, I scowled at her. "She needed food, Tasha! That was the only reason she was here!"

"How do you know? Maybe she lied to you!" Tasha was jabbing her finger in my chest now. "Where did she get the car from? Did she tell you that? I don't think so! You know why? Because she stole it!"

"I just know, okay!" I said angrily, taking several paces back.

I needed space. I turned around and looked out the window, taking a few deep breaths to try and calm down. I wasn't one to get angry quickly, but Tasha was capable of riling me up so bad sometimes. When I felt like I'd calmed down enough, I turned back around.

"Please, Tasha," I said, my voice quiet, "just try to understand. She was living inside a car for God's sake. She's just a girl. She's harmless."

"Ugh!" Tasha stamped her foot on the ground, like a small child throwing a tantrum. Tears sprang in her eyes. "I'm your girlfriend, dammit! I should have made this decision with you!"

"But you don't live here," I said, feeling utterly exhausted from fighting over this.

Tasha's eyes widened in surprise. I almost regretted what I said because she looked genuinely hurt, but I'd only told the truth. She didn't live here. The decision wasn't up to her. We hadn't even been together for that long.

"I want to help her, Tasha," I said quietly, after a few moments of silence. "You might not believe it, but I know she wasn't breaking in for the kick of it. She needs help."

"So you're choosing her over me?" Tasha exclaimed, her voice breaking as a tear rolled down her face. "A _stranger_?"

"I'm not choosing her over you," I answered with a frown. "I'm choosing to help her, that's all. Don't make this about yourself."

Suddenly, the door to the living room opened and Rose walked in. She stopped in her tracks when she took in the scene and gave me an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to interrupt. You left the front door unlocked so I…"

I gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay, Rose."

Tasha turned around swiftly, glaring at Rose.

"Oh, hey, you're the lady that nearly ran me over," Rose noted. She glanced down at her leg. "You gave me a nice souvenir," she added with a grin, pointing at the fading bruises, "but I'm all good. No worries."

"Yeah, maybe I should have run you over," Tasha hissed, "for breaking into my boyfriend's home! You might be able to fool him, little girl, but you aren't fooling me."

"Tasha!" I reprimanded.

Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry, but-"

But Tasha had already stormed out the door, leaving Rose and me stunned. Rose winced when the front door slammed shut and glanced over at me, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Your girlfriend?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I wouldn't have said anything if I'd known she was your girlfriend. I didn't mean to make her angry."

I smiled despite the situation I was in right now. "Don't worry about it. She was angry long before you came in."

"I thought she was okay with me living here," Rose said, studying my face. "You said so."

"She's not okay with it right now, but she will be," I vowed, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "She just needs time to let it all sink in."

Rose nodded, then looked down at the floor and shoved her hands into the pockets of her shorts. "I, uh, kind of lied." She looked back up at me with an apologetic smile on her face. "I heard the end of your conversation – you were arguing pretty loud – so I came in on purpose. So she'd stop screaming at you because you really didn't deserve that."

I blinked in surprise. How much of our conversation had she actually heard?

"Thanks for sticking up for me," she said softly, "even though I haven't told you much."

"You don't need to," I told her gently.

Rose sighed. "I want to trust you, Dimitri, and I do – otherwise I would have never accepted your offer, no matter how desperate I am. We're going to be seeing much of each other for quite a while so I should probably open up to you, but I need more time."

"There's no rush," I reassured her. I was a closed-off person myself so I could definitely understand where she was coming from. "I told you, you don't owe me any answers. If you want to tell me something, you can. But if you don't…that's fine too."

Rose was smiling now. "Well, I can tell you one thing." When she didn't continue, I raised an eyebrow, giving her an expectant look. "Despite what your girlfriend thinks, I didn't steal the car," she said. Then she paused, frowning. "Well… I might've taken it without telling my mom," she added with a shrug, her face clouding over for a brief moment. It happened so quick I might have just imagined it. "It was my dad's car anyway, not hers, and I'm sure he would've wanted me to have it."

This was the second time she'd mentioned her father – in the past tense. Did he die? Or did she lose contact with him? She hadn't talked about her mom before, though. But the look on her face when she'd mentioned her mother told me they weren't on good terms. I wasn't going to ask her, though, because I'd just told her she didn't have to tell me anything. She would tell me when she was ready.

"I know you're wondering now what happened to him," Rose said all of a sudden.

"No, I'm not," I lied.

Rose smirked. "You're a bad liar, Dimitri."

I was surprised by her remark. Usually, I was good at keeping a straight face, but she saw right through me.

"So…what happened to him?" I asked, a little hesitant.

Rose's smirk disappeared quickly. "He passed away two years ago," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She glanced away and cleared her throat. "Brain tumor," she added before I could ask.

I could see she had tears in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. She obviously had a hard time talking about this so for her to tell me this after knowing me for such a short time…well, it was brave and it really showed she wanted to trust me. If only I knew the right words to say right now. Instead, I found myself saying, "I'm sorry, Rose."

She nodded in acknowledgment. "Thanks. I didn't tell you because I want to be pitied, but I feel like I have to tell you something about me. Because how can you trust a complete stranger and stand up to people to defend me without knowing anything at all? But…that's all I want to share for now." She gave me the smallest of smiles. "I hope you understand."

I returned her smile, hoping it would put her at ease. "Of course."

* * *

 _Did you expect Tasha to react like that? How do you think Dimitri handled the situation? Next chapter will be RPOV and you'll learn more about Lissa and Mason! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Have a wonderful weekend! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm so sorry for the late update! I had the stomach flu! Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **RPOV**

Dimitri had given me money to fill up my tank so I could visit Lissa. I'd protested at first, even though I longed to see my sister. The latter won out eventually and I accepted Dimitri's money with the promise I'd pay him back as soon as possible. I also told him he could use the car whenever he wanted to make up for in the meantime.

I was going to meet Lissa in the park. It was closer to home than I liked, but I knew that prick would never step foot outside during the day. I'd asked Lissa to pack a bag with clothes and some of my stuff. She was already sitting on the bench by the pond; when she saw me she sprang up and ran down the path towards me. I started to speed up as well and smiled at her before she flung her arms around my neck, hugging me tight.

"Oh my God!" Lissa exclaimed. She pulled back from the hug and beamed at me. "You're here."

My smile widened at seeing her happy face, her emerald eyes sparkling at me. "Yes, I'm here."

I looked her over and was relieved to see she looked well. She was wearing a cute halter dress. She'd braided her blond hair and, to my surprise, I noticed she was even wearing a little bit of makeup.

"I see you've found my makeup bag," I told her as we made our way to the bench. Lissa blushed. "You look very nice."

"Thanks," she murmured. "I've brought your makeup bag as well."

I gave her a gentle nudge with my shoulder, smiling at her. "You can keep it."

"No, it's yours," she said, shaking her head. "I'll buy my own. I got a job at the convenience store," she added.

"Really? That's great!" I said, genuinely happy for her. We sat down on the bench and I grabbed the huge duffel bag she'd brought me, zipping it open. "Did you have trouble sneaking out?"

"No, aunt Janie was asleep," she answered, "and Stan was watching TV. He didn't even notice I left."

I nodded. "Are they treating you well?"

"Yes," she answered. I cut her a look and she reconsidered. "Well, your mom does. Stan is… Stan." She shrugged. "You know he can be a douche."

I snorted. "That's an understatement." Lissa giggled, but I didn't find it funny. I looked at her gravely. "You would tell me if there was something wrong, right?"

Her smile faded. "Of course, Rose."

"You can call me day and night," I said firmly. "If that prick does anything to hurt you, I'll be there right away."

"I know, but you don't have to worry," Lissa tried to reassure me. "I'll be okay."

I let out a sigh. "I know. I'm just making sure." I started rummaging through the bag and saw that Lissa had packed all the essentials. At the bottom of the bag, I found a photo frame. It was the one that had been on my nightstand. The one of my parents and me and Lissa on our vacation in Côte d'Azur four years ago, when we were still a happy family. When we were still _whole_.

"I thought you'd like to have it," Lissa said quietly.

"Thanks." I suppressed another sigh as I stared at the photograph. We were all smiling; my dad had the biggest smile of all. It had been before his diagnosis. How easy life had been back then. "I'm really sorry about leaving," I said after a while.

"I know why you left," Lissa responded, looking down at her lap. "It's okay."

I shut my eyes. "No, it's not. I shouldn't have left you behind."

"Rose…" Lissa said softly. She reached over and squeezed my hand, making me look up. "I understand why you left. What I don't understand is…" She paused, hesitating. "What I don't understand is why you never got the same treatment as I got…as I get," she corrected herself. "I mean, I'm adopted and you…you are her _daughter_."

I knew perfectly well why Lissa got treated better, but I didn't want her to worry even more. This wasn't her problem. "She can't look at me since Dad died," I said, clearing my throat. It was partly the truth. "I remind her too much of him. And that's the last thing she wants."

Lissa frowned. "I just can't believe she'd choose Stan over you. He's such an ass." She paused, giving me a sympathetic smile. "I think she misses you, though. She won't admit it, but I can see it on her face."

"Well, if that's the case she doesn't miss me too much because she still hasn't thrown out Stan," I muttered, stuffing the photo frame back inside the bag and closing it. I'd hoped leaving would have knocked some sense into my mom, but so far it hadn't happened yet. I guess she preferred the company of booze, pills and wicked men. "I bet she misses the car, though."

"If it's any consolation, I miss you very much," Lissa told me. A sad look crossed her face, but she quickly replaced it with a smile.

"You'll see me a lot more once school starts again," I reassured her. She looked doubtful so I beamed at her. "You'll see me every day. You'll get tired of me."

"I'd never get tired of you," she said with another giggle. She paused for a moment. "I'm actually already nervous about going to high school. It's going to be so different."

"You'll be okay," I promised. "And I'll be there to take care of you. Anything you need…you can come to me. That's what sisters are there for."

Her smile widened. "Thanks. I'm really glad you're coming back to school. For a moment, I thought you were going to drop out."

That had been my intention at first, but then Dimitri had given me an opportunity, a second chance to have a better life. I wanted to tell her about him, but then she suddenly said, "Mason misses you too. He keeps asking about you."

"I'm visiting him later," I said with a nod. "He's pretty angry at me for leaving."

"I'm sure that if you explain him everything, it'll be alright," Lissa said in a soothing voice. That was so her. Always trying to comfort me. It should be the other way around.

"Yeah, sure," I mumbled. If only I could explain everything to Mason…

"So where do you live now?" Lissa asked, changing the subject.

I smiled, a little embarrassed. "Uh, that's actually a funny story…"

I told her everything. About having to break into a man's home to steal food and how he'd chased me down and I got hit by a car. I told her that he'd given me supplies for about a week before I dared to go over and talk to him. I told her about his kindness and compassion, and finally I told her that he'd offered me a place in his home and that I'd accepted.

"Wow, that's quite the story," Lissa said with a small laugh. "He seems like a really nice guy. But what's his name?"

"Dimitri," I answered with a smile. "And I know, I know, I probably shouldn't be moving into a stranger's home, but he actually is really nice. And before you ask, he's not a pervert," I added quickly. _He's no Stan…_ "He has a girlfriend, but she's kind of a bitch." I made a face. "She's actually the one that almost ran me over."

"What?" Lissa exclaimed, her eyes wide in surprise.

I nodded. "Yeah. But…it's okay. It was an accident. Anyway, he's nice," I repeated, "so no need to worry about my safety."

There was a mischievous smile on Lissa's face. "Sounds like you like him a lot."

"No," I said quickly. I reconsidered. "I mean, sure, I like him. He's very nice."

Now she was laughing again. "Yeah, you mentioned that once or twice."

I cut her a look, pulling playfully at her fishtail braid. "Stop that. I'm just grateful to him. Not a lot of people would take in a stranger and provide for them. He's one of the good guys."

Lissa sobered up. "That's true. He gave you a home, even though he barely knows you and even though you broke into it – which I think is crazy even for you," she said with raised eyebrows, clearly amused. "So I'm glad you met him."

I smiled. "Yeah, me too."

"So is he good-looking?" She had that mischievous look on her face again.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously, Liss?"

"Yes. Seriously."

I rolled my eyes. "God, you're infuriating sometimes!"

Lissa giggled, bumping her shoulder against mine. "Just answer the question."

"I guess he is handsome, yeah," I answered reluctantly as I watched a woman pass by with her Dalmatian dog. There were two children by the pond, feeding the ducks. "I don't know."

"How can you not know?"

I groaned and finally looked back at her. "Okay, fine. He's good-looking. But what does it matter?"

She shrugged. "How old is he?"

"He's twenty-four," I answered, frowning now. "What's up, Liss? Why are you asking all these questions about him?"

She bit down on her lower lip, trying to hide her smile. "I'm just curious, Rose."

I pulled my legs up and turned a quarter so that my back was to Lissa. "Can you please braid my hair, too?"

"Sure. Do you have a hair tie?"

I removed the hair tie around my wrist and handed it to here. "Here you go."

I closed my eyes as she started braiding my hair. I found it very relaxing when someone was playing with my hair, I didn't know why. We sat there in silence as Lissa continued to work and I enjoyed the sun on my skin.

"I'm all done," Lissa said after a while, letting go of my hair. "It's the same as mine."

"Thank God, my legs are stiff," I muttered. I'd been sitting cross-legged for too long so I got up and walked a little bit in front of the bench whilst admiring my braid. "Thanks, Liss."

Lissa grinned at me. "Now we're twins."

I laughed. "We're hardly twins. We're not even the same age."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I know that. But fine. Then we're braid twins."

I tried to hold back my laughter as I said, "I'm almost afraid to ask because you look like you're going to punch me, but…is that even a word?"

Lissa smiled reluctantly. "That's two words, silly."

"Hey, you're the brains." I shrugged. Stopping in front of her, I held out my hand to pull her up. "Let's go get some ice cream."

Besides the bag with essentials, Lissa had brought me some money she'd stolen from my mom's purse. It wasn't much so she wouldn't notice. I wanted to pay for Lissa's ice cream to thank her for all her help, but she refused and told me I could use the money for more important things.

After our stroll through the park, licking our ice creams, I said my goodbyes to Lissa and promised I'd be back soon. I would've given her a lift home, but I didn't want to take the risk of Stan or my mom seeing me.

After Lissa had left, I drove straight to Mason's house. I hadn't told him I would be visiting so I wasn't sure how he'd react to my sudden appearance. When I rang the bell, it took a long while before the front door opened.

"Hey, Mase," I said, offering my boyfriend a smile.

He stared at me for a few moments, his mouth agape. After the initial shock wore off, he started to scowl. "I didn't expect to see you here," he said coolly.

I gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I probably should have called first." He said nothing, which made this only more awkward. "Can I come in?" I asked when it looked like he wasn't going to invite me inside.

"I guess," he muttered, pushing the door further open.

I stepped inside and followed him into the living room. Mason's best friend, Eddie, sat in front of the couch, holding an Xbox console in his hands. So that's why it had taken Mason so long to answer the door; they were playing video games.

"Oh, hey Rose," Eddie said, surprised to see me. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"Great," he said with an easy smile. Then he looked at Mason. "Should I go?"

"Nah, it's okay," Mason said, glancing over his shoulder at me. "We'll talk in the kitchen."

I offered Eddie a smile before following Mason towards the kitchen. He walked around the kitchen table and leaned against the countertop, making sure to keep a safe distance. He really was angry with me, I could see that now.

"So did you change your mind?" he asked, crossing his arms. "Are you coming back?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm just visiting."

Mason looked down. "Oh. I thought…"

"I'm sorry," I said, taking a cautious step towards him. "I'm sorry I've been such a bad girlfriend lately. And I'm sorry I can't come and live with you."

"You could," he countered, snapping his head back up at me, his brows furrowing.

I shook my head again. "Things are already complicated enough."

"That's because you make it complicated," Mason shot back, his voice sharp.

"I don't mean to," I said, my voice barely above a whisper now. I cleared my throat. "It's just for a couple more weeks. When school starts again, you'll see me every day again."

Mason sighed deeply.

"Look, I get that you're upset that I left without telling you," I told him, "and I can't apologize enough for that. But why are you so upset that I'm living someplace else?"

"Can't I be upset that I haven't seen my girlfriend in weeks?" he exclaimed. "I was starting to wonder if I even still had a girlfriend!"

"I'm sorry, okay?" I tried not to raise my voice, which was difficult, but someone had to be the bigger person here. "How many times do I have to apologize to you? Do you really want to spend the little time we have together fighting?"

Mason stared at me for a long time, his lips pressed into a grim line. When he finally opened his mouth to say something, I thought he was going to yell at me some more, but his voice was soft and almost gentle. "You're right. We shouldn't be fighting right now. I'm sorry, Rose." He seemed to deflate completely as he ran his hands through his red hair. "I've just been so worried about you, you know?"

Finally, I walked over to him. "I know, but you don't have to." I gave him a small smile. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

"I know that," he mumbled, glancing up at me. "But I can't help it. I can't help but worry about the people I love."

I almost froze when he said those last words. We'd been together for quite a while, but we'd never spoken the words 'I love you' to each other before. I wasn't quite there yet, but it seemed like Mason was.

Mason had been one of my closest friends before I started dating him, and I'd had my doubts about it because I was afraid it was going to ruin our friendship, but Mason was sweet and kind. He was a good person. I figured that if I should be with anyone, it should be him.

While I cared a lot about him and loved him dearly as a friend, I couldn't say yet that I was in love with him. Maybe it was wrong of me to be with him because of that, but I always told myself it took time to develop these kind of feelings. Maybe I just needed more time.

"I know," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him. He hesitated only for a second, then wrapped his arms around me as well, resting his cheek against the top of my head.

Our hug didn't last long because Eddie came walking in, clearing his throat loudly to announce he was there. "I'm going to head home, Mase, so you guys can catch up. See you later."

I wanted to tell Eddie he didn't have to leave because of me, but he was already out the door before I could so much as utter a word.

"Come on," Mason said, tugging me towards the living room. "Can I get you something to drink?"

I settled down on the couch while Mason fetched me a glass of water. I felt bad about interrupting his gaming session with Eddie; it was obvious Eddie had left because of me.

Mason asked a lot of questions that I didn't know how to answer. When he asked me again where I lived now, I was evasive because I didn't want word to get out to my mother, or worse, Stan. Lissa was the only one I trusted with my exact whereabouts. Of course, it didn't make Mason happy that I told him so little. So to appease him, I told him about Dimitri. But, to my surprise, that made him even less happy.

"I can't believe you're living with a dude you don't know at all," he exclaimed in disbelief, shaking his head.

I scowled. "I know him."

Mason raised an eyebrow at me.

"Enough to know that he can be trusted," I added, feeling a little bit annoyed at him. "You don't understand, Mase. He's been there for me a lot. He – he gave me a place to sleep! I might not know him well, but I know he's trustworthy."

Mason crossed his arms and huffed. "Take my word for it. Soon he'll be asking you to return the favor."

I stared at him, mouth agape. "What the hell are you insinuating?"

"You know what I'm insinuating," he said, grim. "He isn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. I thought you were smarter than that, Rose."

I sprang up from the couch, angry. I was actually so angry right now that I couldn't get a word out. After a lot of spluttering, I managed to exclaim, "Oh my God!"

I had to admit, this was not my finest moment. Usually, I knew how to defend myself. But usually, I didn't have to defend myself against my boyfriend.

"Are you serious right now?" I shouted at last, curling my hands into fists. "Do you honestly think I'd move in with someone like that? After everything I've told you about Stan, do you really think-"

"I'm just saying you should be careful," Mason interrupted, getting up as well. He shrugged. "That's all."

"Thanks for the warning," I muttered, heading to the front door. "I'll let myself out."

"Rose!" Mason called out as he followed me down the hallway. "Come back! I'm just looking out for you."

"Well, don't!" I growled as I pulled open the door. I felt Mason's hand on my shoulder, but I pushed him off of me and slammed the door shut behind me before stalking off to my car. He didn't come after me again.

By the time I arrived at Dimitri's house, I was still pissed off. I wasn't angry that he didn't trust Dimitri – he didn't know him after all – but what really ticked me off was that Mason didn't trust my judgment. Grabbing the duffel bag from the backseat, I slammed the door shut and walked to the front door. I was relieved that Dimitri was still at work because I did not want him to see me like this. Right before I closed the front door, I saw that old man with his hound staring at me from across the street and it wasn't the first time he'd stood there, I realized with a frown.

I hauled the heavy bag upstairs to my new room and opened up the window because it was still a little stuffy inside before walking back downstairs to the kitchen. I searched through the fridge and found the bag with fresh veggies for Donatello.

"Hey Don," I murmured as I stopped in front of his tank to feed him. "How are you doing today?"

Donatello was too busy swimming to give me the time of day. I watched him for a while, which calmed me down a little. Afterwards, I went back to the kitchen to make myself dinner. Dimitri still wasn't home when I'd finished eating so I decided to put a plate for him in the fridge. I wasn't a great cook, but I knew the basics. Hopefully, Dimitri thought my dinner was eatable. Otherwise he'd have to take care of his own meals.

Not sure what to do with myself, I went upstairs to my room and sat on the bed, staring at my duffel bag. I knew I should unpack, but I wasn't sure where to put everything. There was little furniture in this room, which Dimitri had warned me about. At last, I decided to put my clothes in the closet and leave the rest in the bag. A loud knock on the door snapped me from my reverie. I looked up and saw Dimitri standing in the doorway, a warm smile on his face.

"Hey," I said, automatically smiling back. I hoped he hadn't been standing there too long because I'd kind of been in a sad mood.

"Hey," he returned, his voice soft and gentle. "The door was open so…" He took a hesitant step into the room. "How's your day been? Everything alright with your sister?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it was fun." _Except for my stop at Mason's place._ I wasn't going to bother him with that, though. "Oh, that reminds me," I said, getting up. Grabbing my purse, I took out my wallet and handed him the money Lissa had given me. "Thanks again."

"That's not necessary," he said immediately.

I placed the bills in his hand anyway. "I want you to take it. Please," I added when he tried to give it back. I put my hand around his, pressing the money into his palm. His hand felt warm and rough, so unlike Mason's hands. I looked down at our clasped hands, wondering why my skin tingled where his hand touched mine.

"Fine," Dimitri said reluctantly, glancing down as well before pulling away. "You didn't give me everything you have, did you?"

"No," I answered, a little bit flustered. "Just the money for gas."

"Okay," he said, smiling again.

"I've left you some dinner in the fridge," I told him, turning around to close the window so I wouldn't have to look at him. "Chicken." When I turned back to face him again, he looked at me in surprise and I shrugged. "Don't expect too much."

"Thanks, Rose," he said, sincere. "You didn't have to do that."

I smiled, almost shy, and nervously pulled at my braid. "I know, but I was making something for myself so I figured I could make dinner for you too."

"Thank you." His smile widened and it lit up his gorgeous face. Now I was pulling at my braid to distract myself from him, but he noticed and said, "You look nice."

Dimitri almost looked embarrassed when he realized what he'd said and I was pretty sure I was blushing. I was also pretty sure I didn't know why I was blushing. "Thanks. Lissa braided my hair."

"Well…it – it looks nice," Dimitri stammered. He even looked a little bit flustered himself now, which made feel a lot less awkward already.

I finally let go of my hair, carefully glancing up at him. "I wish I had the patience to braid my hair, but I don't. It's too long."

"You don't have to braid it. It looks just as nice when it's loose." He was using _nice_ a lot, whilst his eyes flitted everywhere but at me. It was kinda cute when he was embarrassed. Dimitri finally settled his eyes on the duffel bag sitting on my bed. "Your stuff?"

I nodded. "I was about to put it away."

Dimitri seemed relieved for the change of subject. He looked around the room again, then leaned against the doorway as he stared at a spot on the wall where the paint was chipped off. "Are you sure you don't want to paint your room before I buy you some furniture."

"Oh no," I said quickly. "You don't have to-"

"The closet is rather small. You're not going to be able to fit everything into it," he said casually. He looked back at me and smiled again. "What do you say? Wanna renovate the room before you unpack everything?"

* * *

 _I know there wasn't a lot of Romitri in this chapter, but we know a little more about Rose's background now so that's something! What did you think of it? There's going to be a lot of Romitri bonding the next chapter! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter. Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you very much for the well wishes and reviews! This chapter is the longest so far, I think, and it's practically all Romitri so I hope you're going to enjoy it! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

 **DPOV**

The first week after Rose had moved into my house was a real adjustment – for both her and me. It was strange having another person live in my house, but thankfully Rose was fun to hang out with. Still, it was weird that I had to wait in the hallway now until Rose had finished in the bathroom. On the days I had to go to the bookstore, we'd agreed that I'd get time in the bathroom first.

It was nice, however, to come home from work and have your meals ready. Apparently, Rose liked to cook and she was pretty good, too, so she made dinner for me pretty much every night. I'd told her she didn't have to, but she said this was her way to pay me back for taking her in. So far, she hadn't had any luck in finding a summer job. Summer jobs were scarce in this town and she was very late for applying. I figured Alberta might be able to help her out, but I had yet to ask her.

Even though Rose had protested at first, I took her to IKEA in Brooklyn to buy new furniture. Her room was so bare, with only a narrow bed and a small closet. If she was going back to school soon, she'd need a desk. Besides, when I'd found her sitting on the bed last week, looking all sad and lost in thought, I figured this would be the best way to make her feel more at home.

I'd let Rose pick out a color to paint her room because, honestly, the beige paint in her room was peeling off and it looked awful. She chose a pastel blue and we spent the following days painting her room. When we were done with that and the walls were dry, I would start putting together her furniture so she could finally unpack her bag and stow everything away.

I hadn't heard from Tasha all week. I figured she was still pissed off because I was allowing a 'dangerous teen' to live in my house. I could understand her initial anger, but I'd apologized already. There wasn't much else I could do. I wasn't upset about not being able to spend time with her, though. Honestly, I was having too much fun with Rose, painting her room.

On a particularly hot day, we were working on the last wall. Even though it was still morning, the heat was almost unbearable. The room felt like a sauna, and the radio did little to distract me from it. Rose and I had fallen silent quite a while ago, and even though I was still painting I felt so sleepy that I thought I might doze off as I stood there.

"Look alive, comrade!" Rose suddenly exclaimed, and as I looked up in surprise, she squirted water in my face.

I stared at her, mouth agape, as water trickled down my cheek. She started laughing loudly before pressing the bottle against her lips and taking a long sip. I hadn't even realized she'd left the room to fetch water. Jeez, I really must've dozed off.

Rose was laughing again. "Oh my God. I really caught you off guard, didn't I?"

"Stop laughing at me." But I was grinning now. Dipping my brush in the pot, I splashed her with the blue paint and she let out a surprised yelp, stepping back. The paint splattered on her cheek and neck. Now I was the one laughing. "Woops. Sorry."

Rose narrowed her eyes at me. "You're on."

"Whoa, Rose, no," I warned, immediately taking two paces back when she jumped at me with her own paint brush. I made a feeble attempt at grabbing her arm, but she wrenched herself free before I could get a good grip and whacked the brush into my face. "Goddammit, Rose," I exclaimed, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"You only got yourself to blame," she said, laughing as well.

"You started it," I returned as I grabbed hold of her and ran my brush down her arm. She gasped and pulled away. I thought she was going to give up now, but then, to my disbelief, she dropped the water bottle and put her hand in the paint pot.

"No, Rose. _No_ ," I yelled, already backing up again, but it was too late.

She wiped her hand all the way down my neck and shoulder, over my arm, leaving paint everywhere. Then she looked up at me innocently, biting back a grin. Recovering from my shock, I reached for the pot as well. Rose let out a scream as she ran around the bed, away from me, but she didn't get far. I wiped paint across her cheek while she half screamed half giggled, trying to pull herself free.

It was safe to say that we didn't paint much that morning, except ourselves. I was pretty sure I looked like a smurf by the time we decided to call it quits, both of us exhausted. The plastic covering the furniture in the room was mostly blue now and I was thankful I was wearing old clothes. Rose sat next to me on the floor, but somehow she still found the strength to giggle. For the first time since she moved in, she looked genuinely happy. Her laughter was so contagious that I couldn't help but smile at her.

"How about we leave that wall for later? I'm taking you out for lunch," I said after a while, desperate to get out of the house. It wouldn't be much cooler outside, but inside it was stifling.

"Like this?" Rose said, grinning, as she rubbed at a blue spot on her arm.

"No, I meant _after_ we've cleaned up," I told her, smiling reluctantly. I nodded at the door. "Hurry up."

When Rose returned from the bathroom, she was wearing fresh clothes and she'd been able to remove most of the paint on her skin, which proved to be not as easy as it sounded. I spent thirty minutes scrubbing my face, neck and arms under the shower. I didn't bother to put my clothes in the washer; they were completely ruined, but I didn't mind.

When I finally came back downstairs, Rose was lounging on the couch, flipping through channels on TV.

"Ah, there you are! _Finally!_ " she said, turning around so she could look at me. "Took you long enough, eh, comrade?"

There it was again. _Comrade._ She's said that a few times now, most often when she was in a teasing mood. I guess it was her new nickname for me. If anyone else had come up with it, I would've shut it down immediately, but for some reason I didn't mind Rose giving me nicknames.

"Alright, get up, couch potato," I teased back. "I'm hungry."

The diner was only a short walk from home so we decided to leave the car here. As I locked the door behind me, I saw Victor pruning his rose bushes. He stopped to watch. Before he could get to his feet and come over, I gave him a wave before pushing Rose along the sidewalk.

"Your neighbor is very curious," Rose commented.

I suppressed a sigh. "I know. He likes to know everything that's going on in town." I looked at Rose, who was frowning, and shrugged. "He's just an old man."

Rose nodded. "I've seen him around town a few times. With his big hound. Always staring at me." She paused. "Admittedly, I looked like a wreck so I guess I'd be staring, too."

"Victor likes to gossip, but he's harmless," I answered. "Just ignore him."

By the time we arrived at the diner, I was starving. Rose and I both ordered a burger and fries. When our meal finally arrived, we dug in, both of us quiet as we ate. It was a comfortable silence. I was glad that things were going so well between us. It was all so _easy,_ which was strange because I was usually a lot more reserved around people I didn't know well, but I'd felt comfortable around Rose from the start. Things were never awkward with her.

After our meal, I ordered two milkshakes for us: a peanut butter milkshake for Rose and a banana milkshake for myself. Rose slurped hers with a content smile on her face.

"You still got some paint on your neck," Rose said after a few moments, breaking the silence.

"Really?" I said, scratching at my neck. "I thought I got it all off…"

"It's okay. I'll do it." She let go of her straw and reached across the table. "Never mind," she muttered suddenly and she stood up before slipping into the seat next to me. I stopped trying to find the remaining paint on my neck and let Rose rub it away. When her fingers touched my skin, I felt a familiar tingle run down my spine. _And why is my heart beating faster than usual?_ "There you go. It's gone," she exclaimed, looking very pleased with herself.

"Thanks," I murmured, not quite able to meet her eyes.

Rose moved back to her side of the table and drew the straw back to her mouth, taking a sip of her milkshake. I stared at her for a few moments, almost as if in a trance. She looked up at me, her lips curving into another smile.

Suddenly, Rose's phone lit up on the table, momentarily distracting me from her beautiful smile. I saw the name 'Mason' flash across the screen and I wondered if this was her boyfriend. When she'd visited Lissa, she'd told me she was going to see her boyfriend as well, but she hadn't mentioned him again after she'd come back from her trip.

"Someone's calling you," I said, nodding at her phone.

"Oh." Rose grabbed her phone and put it out of sight. "I'll call him back later," she said, but her smile was forced now.

"I can give you some privacy if you want…" I said, unsure.

I started to get up, but she placed her hand on top of mine, stopping me. I felt another spark run through my body, but I did my best to ignore it as I looked down at her.

"No, it's okay," Rose said reassuringly. I sat back down again and she quickly let go of my hand. "I… I don't feel like talking to him right now," she mumbled.

"Is he your boyfriend?" I asked, trying not to sound too curious.

Rose looked up at me and nodded. "Things aren't great between us right now…"

I said nothing, letting her decide if she wanted to tell me more or not.

"He's been angry at me lately," she told me after a few moments. She bit down on her lower lip, hesitating. "I didn't tell him I was leaving home," she admitted then. "I didn't talk to him for three weeks straight. He was really worried…and angry – which I totally understand. But he knows why I had to leave." She stopped, frowning now. "At least, he knows some of it," she corrected herself, playing with the straw of her milkshake. "But he's mad because I'm not coming home. He's mad because…" She paused, looking back up at me. "Because I'm living with a man I don't know," she finished quickly, her cheeks reddening. "I tried to explain to him that I'm totally safe with you, but he wouldn't listen."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said earnestly. I was glad to hear she felt safe with me, though.

Rose gave me a small, grateful smile, still playing with the straw. "I'm sorry for bothering you with this."

I shook my head at her. "It's fine, Rose. You can tell me as much as you like."

Her smile widened, only a little. Letting go of the straw, she crossed her arms on the table and bit her lip. I could see there was something she wanted to say, but she looked nervous. At last, she murmured, "I like that you don't press me to tell you things and that you don't judge me for the things I do tell you…or for the things that I've done. Thank you for that."

I returned her smile. "You're very welcome, Rose."

"So how are things with your girlfriend?" Rose said slowly, glancing up at me from beneath her eyelashes. "If I may be so bold to ask…" she added with a grin. But the grin disappeared quickly. "I haven't seen her since I moved in and, as far as I know, you haven't gone to see her either."

"Honestly… I don't know," I told her with a shrug. "I haven't heard from her since our fight."

Rose sighed. "I guess that's my fault. I'm sorry."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't be." Taking a sip of my own milkshake, I said, "We were never that great to begin with so maybe it's better this way."

"You don't miss her?" Rose asked, looking at me curiously.

I bit the inside of my cheek. How was I going to answer this question without coming off as a complete jerk? "Well," I started hesitantly. She gave me an expectant look in return, her curiosity even more piqued. I blew out a quick breath. "Actually, no. I don't." I shrugged awkwardly, not sure how to explain myself. "I don't know if that makes me a bad boyfriend, but I like my space. I like being on my own."

"Yet you invited a stranger to live in your house," Rose said with wide eyes, surprised.

"That's different," I said quickly. I could hardly explain to Rose that it was different because she wasn't all over me the whole time she was around me.

"Dimitri, if I'm around too much you have to tell me," Rose said seriously. She looked a little bit worried. "I don't want to impose or-"

"You're not imposing, Rose," I cut her off gently. "I don't mind hanging out with you, but Tasha…" I let out a sigh. "Tasha can be a little bit too much sometimes. I need my time away from her, you know?"

Rose nodded. "I didn't want to say it before because it's not my place, but Tasha seems kind of…" She shrugged, giving me a sheepish smile. "Difficult," she finished at last.

"She is," I agreed.

"I understand what you mean, though," Rose said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't hang out with my boyfriend all the time, too. I want to have my own group of friends and I need some space from time to time." She smiled a little, but it was a sad smile. "Maybe we feel that way because we haven't found the right one yet."

I didn't realize I was staring at her again while she talked until Rose gave me a weird look. Blinking rapidly, I glanced away and sipped my milkshake to distract myself. I didn't know why, but I thought that every word that came out off her mouth was fascinating. _She_ was fascinating. It worried me a little that I found everything she said so interesting. But what worried me even more was that I didn't feel like I needed time alone when I was around her. I felt so different when I hung out with her; I wasn't anxious to get back to my drawings and books. I'd never felt that with anyone before.

She was only seventeen, but she was mature, and that's what was so dangerous. I needed to remind myself that she was still a minor on a daily basis because sometimes I'd forget because she was so mature for her age. Sure, she could be playful at times, like earlier when we were throwing paint at each other, but that made things fun. But that was not the point.

The point was that the more I got to know her, the more I realized I was attracted to her, which was bad because she was a _minor_. _And you have a girlfriend_ , a stern voice whispered inside my head.

"Yeah, maybe," I said at last, clearing my throat. I'd finished my milkshake so I tried to find a different distraction. I glanced around the diner so I wouldn't have to look at Rose. We were the only ones left and it looked like they were about to close up. "Let me get the check," I said, starting to get up.

"No, I'll pay!" Rose said, getting to her feet as well. She pushed me back into my seat. "I know what you're going to say, but you're already doing so much for me. Please let me pay the bill this time. As a thank-you."

I knew I could protest all I wanted, but it'd be futile so instead, I said, "Alright."

I waited in my seat until she returned, trying not to think about the things she'd said. I knew I needed to do something about Tasha, though. I'd thought about letting it fizzle out, but I guess I should do the decent thing and break up with her in person. She wouldn't take it well, though.

After a few minutes of waiting, I turned around in my seat and saw Rose talking animatedly with the owner of the diner, Mikhail Tanner. I watched them curiously for a moment, until Rose walked back to me with a huge grin plastered across her face.

"What's up?" I asked. "Is it on the house?"

"No, no," she said, stopping next to my booth. Her grin widened even more. "I asked Mr. Tanner if he needed any extra help and he said yes!" She grabbed my arm, shaking it excitedly. "I have a job, Dimitri!"

"That's great!" I answered, genuinely happy for her.

I got up and we started for the exit. I gave Mikhail a grateful smile, which he returned with a wave, before holding open the door for Rose. She walked out, talking rapidly.

"It's only on the weekdays, though. He's got enough people for the weekend. But it's okay. I'll still be able to make your dinner because during the week the diner closes at three. It's only for the remainder of the summer, but at least I'll be able to pay you back a little. And who knows, maybe he's gonna need me during the weekends later on…"

There was a skip in her step as she rambled on. She was so happy, and I couldn't help but smile and be happy for her as well.

"So when do you start?" I asked when she had to stop talking to take a breath.

"Next week," she answered, her eyes twinkling in excitement. "I can't wait."

I laughed at her enthusiasm; it was adorable. "I think you're the only one in the world who's so eager to work."

When we arrived home, we went back up to Rose's room to finish painting the wall. This time we managed it without throwing paint at each other. When it was done, I sighed in relief and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"Finally," I muttered.

Rose took a step back to admire her room. "It looks great, doesn't it? We did a good job!"

I nodded my agreement and walked over to the window, carefully removing the tape from around the edges. "We sure did." Rose started to pull the plastic away from her bed. "I wouldn't push it back against the wall yet," I warned her. "It's not dry yet."

She nodded. "I'll just leave it here for the night."

"You know you can take my bed for tonight if you want to," I told her. "You don't have to sleep in here. I'll take the couch."

"I don't mind," Rose said with a shrug. "After three days, I can hardly smell the paint anymore."

"Alright. I'll set up your new furniture tomorrow after work."

"I'll help you," she said immediately.

I shrugged. "That's okay. It's IKEA furniture so it's supposed to be easy."

But the next day, I found out it wasn't exactly easy. When Rose heard me cussing from upstairs, she quickly joined me in her room to help out. She couldn't help but laugh at my impatience and make jokes about the fact that I wasn't as handy as I'd thought. I was sure I'd be hearing this for a long time.

"Damn," I muttered when we'd finished at last. "That was harder than I thought."

Rose chuckled. "But we did it anyway."

I glared at her playfully. "Excuse me? I did most of the work while you sat there and laughed at me."

Rose grinned at me. "I can't help that you're funny when you curse. I might not have understood everything you said because you talk in Russian when you get upset, but I understood the meaning of it."

"I wasn't upset," I countered.

Rose shrugged and a teasing smile crossed her face. "Alright. But you were definitely distressed."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled reluctantly.

"Are you going to teach me how to curse in Russian?" she asked suddenly, looking eager.

"God, no," I laughed. "You curse enough as it is."

Rose pushed against my shoulder. "You're one to talk, comrade."

I pushed back. "I'm not as bad as you are."

With a heavy sigh, I got to my feet and pulled Rose up as well, looking around the room. It was far from bare anymore; Rose had everything she needed now. I hoped.

"So, do you like your new room?" I asked with a smile.

She glanced around the room, her eyes resting on her new desk and nightstand. "I love it!"

She beamed at me before zipping open her duffel bag. I was about to leave so she could unpack in peace, but then she pulled out a photo frame and placed it on her desk. It caught my gaze immediately and I stopped in my tracks.

"Nice photograph." I hesitated for a brief moment, not sure if Rose trusted me enough to tell me. I tried anyway. "Is that your family?"

Rose followed my gaze and nodded. Slowly, I walked over to take a better look at the photograph in the frame. The only thing I knew about her family was that her father had passed away and that she loved her sister dearly. She hadn't explained her situation at home yet and I hadn't asked.

"It was taken before Dad got his diagnosis," Rose murmured softly, staring at the picture as well. "We were vacationing in France."

"You looked very happy."

Rose gave me a sad smile. "Yes, we were."

I glanced from her to the photo again. It was obvious she had her father's dark hair and tan skin, but I remembered her telling me she would have liked to have her mom's red hair. I was sure she'd look just as beautiful with red hair, but I really liked her dark wavy hair. _Not that I should be liking anything about Rose because she's still a minor_ , I reprimanded myself. I hated that I had to remind myself that Rose was seven years younger than me. As if that wasn't bad enough, she was still a teen. I shouldn't be gazing at Rose as if I was awestruck, but sometimes I couldn't help myself, like earlier in the diner. I didn't think she'd noticed, though.

I looked at the man in the photograph again. He looked kind of…special. He had a goatee and was wearing a red fedora. I didn't know the temperatures in France, but it looked like it had been a sunny day, but he was wearing a scarf that matched his fedora.

"Weird, huh?" Rose said suddenly. She was grinning now.

I blinked in surprise. "What?"

"My dad," she answered. "He always wore a fedora and a scarf, no matter what the weather's like." She gave me a teasing smile. "Kinda like you and your duster. You're inseparable."

"Hey, I haven't worn my duster in days. Even I know when it's too hot outside."

Rose laughed at that. "Okay, that's true. Just so you know, I really like your duster. _Cowboy,_ " she added, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

My cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "You're never going to stop teasing me for reading western novels, huh?" But I was smiling now, too.

"What? I think it's cute you want to be a cowboy when you grow up," she cooed, pinching my cheek.

"God, Rose," I groaned, pushing her hand away. "You're so infuriating sometimes."

She giggled. "That's why you like me."

 _You have no idea…_

Clearing my throat, I quickly looked away from her and stared at the picture again. I hadn't really noticed before because we'd been talking about her dad, but her sister didn't look like her at all. She was very slim and had blond hair. I squinted a little and realized her eyes weren't the same warm brown color like Rose's, but an emerald green.

"You don't look much like your sister," I commented at last.

Rose looked momentarily embarrassed. "Oh, but she's not my _real_ sister." When she saw the confused look on my face, she added quickly, "We're not blood-related, but we're sisters. She's adopted."

"Ah," I said because I didn't know what else to say.

Thankfully, Rose continued, "I've known her since we were toddlers. Well, I was a toddler and she was a baby," she corrected herself, shrugging awkwardly. "She's fourteen now. Our parents were best friends – she had a brother, too – but they all died in a car crash nearly ten years ago. But Lissa's dad...he wrote in his will that if something were to happen to them that they wanted my parents to take care of their children. So my parents adopted Lissa and she's been living with us ever since." She sighed deeply, looking away. "You must think I'm an awful person for leaving her behind."

"I don't think that," I told her gently.

"You should," she muttered darkly. "What I did is awful."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Rose," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a little squeeze, trying to comfort her. "I'm sure you had your reasons for leaving."

"I don't know," she mumbled, not looking at me. "Maybe I'm exaggerating." Finally, she turned to look at me again. "I wanted to help Lissa out first, though. I wanted to tell the authorities about the situation at home, but Lissa doesn't want me to because they'll take her away and put her in foster care. She doesn't want to be in the system, only to go from home to home. She's fourteen. The chances of her finding a new family – permanently – are slim. But mostly, she doesn't want to get separated from me." Rose blinked back tears, biting down on her lower lip. "The only reason I agreed is because my mom doesn't really treat her that bad."

I frowned. "But she treated you bad?"

She shrugged. "Not exactly. She just couldn't stand the sight of me anymore after Dad died. I was a constant reminder of him, because I look so much like him. That's what she said, at least," Rose snorted.

My frown deepened. What kind of mother would say something like that to their child?

"She's only part of the reason why I left, though," Rose continued quietly. "If it had been just her, I would've hold on until high school graduation, but…the main problem is her boyfriend."

I nodded, encouraging her to go on. I was glad she was finally opening up to me.

Rose's face clouded over as she talked about her mom's boyfriend. "He's real nasty – and a bad influence on her. She started dating him shortly after Dad died." She crossed her arms and huffed. "She'd been with Dad for two decades, but he was barely in his grave and she already started dating someone else. Someone who's, like, ten years younger than her. _Seriously_." It was clear she was still bitter about that, but I understood why. "Anyway, her boyfriend…Stan…he's bad. She was already drinking heavily after Dad died, but then Stan came into the picture and she started with pills, too. Pills that Stan provided for her," she added with a scowl.

I hadn't known what to expect, but I definitely hadn't expected _this_. This was heavy stuff. It must've been really hard for Rose to see her mom go down that path. "I'm sorry, Rose," I said softly, looking at her with sympathy. "That must've been difficult."

She nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, well, I guess it helps her forget… She doesn't do it that often anymore, but when she does, she's knocked out for a long time in her bedroom. And all the while Stan yells at us to do stuff for him. Of course Lissa does what she's told because she's an angel," Rose said, a small smile playing on her lips when she mentioned Lissa. "But I'm not like her. I'm stubborn. So Stan and I fought a lot. Like, all the time. Sometimes he was aggressive," she added in a whisper. "And my mom never stood up for me. She always took his side." She sighed again. "One day I couldn't take it anymore so I left." She glanced up at me and smiled softly. "And you know the rest of that story."

I smiled back, but it didn't last long. "God, Rose," I said after a few moments, shaking my head. "I don't know what to say. What you've been through…" I sighed because I couldn't find any comforting words to say to her. "You're a tough girl," I said at last.

"Thanks," she responded. "But maybe I'm not as tough as I would've liked to be. If I was, I would've stuck around for Lissa."

"But you are tough," I told her. "And you're so, so strong."

Rose gave me a grateful smile before looking down at the floor. "If Stan was as awful to Lissa as he was to me, then I would have stayed, though. But Lissa doesn't need my protection. She can stand her ground if need be. And she'd do anything to stay at home until she's eighteen because it's the only family she has."

I had the feeling she hadn't told me everything there was to be said about Stan. Maybe she would in the future, maybe she wouldn't. Either way, there might be something I could tell her so she wouldn't feel so alone.

"I understand why you ran away," I told her. "Living in a house with an abusive man like that…it's not easy. I should know."

Rose looked up at me curiously. "What…?"

"My dad was awful, too," I said with a shrug.

"Did you…did you run away as well?"

I shook my head. "No, he was an asshole to me and my sisters, but he mostly worked his anger out on my mother."

Rose gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "Do you mean…like, hurt her?"

I nodded. "He liked to beat her… When I was old enough to take him, I beat _him_ up. And then he left."

"How old were you?"

I smiled wryly. "Thirteen."

Rose gasped again. "Jesus. You were only a kid."

"So are you," I returned. "So please don't beat yourself up for running away from home." I gave her a half smile. "Pun not intended."

She smiled reluctantly. "Is that the reason why you care so much?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "Is that why you took me in? Because you know what it's like?"

"I guess it's one of the reasons, yes," I admitted. "It's not right. You're only seventeen. Your life should be easy. It should be about boys and partying and…whatever teenagers like to do these days," I finished with a shrug. "But no matter what past you have, no one deserves the kind of life you were living."

Rose's smile turned genuine as she glanced up at me from beneath her eyelashes. "I can't tell you enough how thankful I am to you, Dimitri."

"There's no need to thank me, Rose," I answered with a shake of my head. I started to leave, but stopped at the door and looked back at her. The smile was still on her face. "I'm going to let you unpack your stuff. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

* * *

 _There you go! How did you like this chapter? What do you think of the things Rose told Dimitri? Do you think there's more to it? Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you very much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **DPOV**

I was just about to crawl into bed after another long but satisfying day of work when my phone started buzzing on my bedside table. I frowned, wondering who'd call at this hour. There was only one person who'd call this late, though, and I did not look forward to talking her right now. But when I grabbed my phone, I saw that it was Mama.

"Hey," I said a little surprised as I answered the call.

"Dimka!" Mama sounded exasperated. "Finally!"

I frowned again. "Is there something wrong?"

"You missed our video chat," she said, "so I messaged you on Facebook – I used Sonya's account – but you never replied!"

I settled into bed, leaning back against the pillows. "I'm sorry, Mama. I haven't checked my Facebook in a while."

"It's okay," she replied, sighing in relief. "I'm just glad you're alright. What happened today? Why weren't you online?"

"I've been really busy lately," I responded. I hadn't told her about Rose yet and I was not entirely sure how I was going to explain myself. "But I'm sorry I missed your video call. I won't forget next time."

"It's okay," she repeated. "So what's been keeping you so busy?" She paused for a brief moment, then added curiously, "Is it Tasha? Are things going better?"

I suppressed a sigh. "Well," I said slowly, looking up at the ceiling. "No… I think I might break up with her."

There was a long pause, and I almost thought she'd hung up on me. "Oh no! Why?" she exclaimed, trying to hide her disappointment but failing. "Did you have a fight with her?"

I shrugged, then remembered she couldn't see me. "Umm, kind of." I realized I was being really vague. I should just go ahead and explain her instead of dragging it out. "There's something I need to tell you."

So I told her about Rose. I told her everything, from the moment when I first met her until the moment she moved in here. I also explained that Tasha wasn't happy with the decisions I'd made concerning Rose. She didn't interrupt me once. In fact, she didn't speak at all, even when I was finished.

"I know you really wanted us to work out," I said at last, "but it's not going to happen. We're not…compatible." I rolled my eyes at myself. "You know what I mean. She's just not…right for me."

"That's too bad," Mama sighed. "But I understand where you're coming from. It's a shame she doesn't want you to help that poor girl."

I hadn't been sure how she'd react to the news that I'd taken in a stranger, but she was rather sympathetic towards Rose. She didn't seem upset about the fact that I'd taken her in.

"Though you could've talked to her first," Mama added in a reprimanding voice.

"It wasn't up to her. She doesn't live here."

"I know. It's your house." She chuckled. "I hadn't expected anything like that from you, though. You're already so reserved around people you know and then you go ahead and invite a stranger into your house!" She sounded very amused. "You are full of surprises sometimes."

"She really needed some help, Mama," I told her. "She was living in a car."

"I'm glad I raised such a kind and compassionate son," she said. Now she sounded like she was going to cry. "I'm proud of you, Dimka."

I smiled. "Thank you."

"So what's she like?" Mama asked, changing the subject. "Is she nice?"

"She's nice," I responded, still smiling.

"Is that all you're going to tell me? Come on, tell me more!"

"Mama," I said, exasperated. "She's just nice. What else do you want me to say?"

"Is she beautiful? Is she smart?"

I was glad she couldn't see me right now because I think my cheeks were reddening. "Mama, she's seventeen!"

"Your dad was five years older than me when we married," she answered.

"Yes, and he was a prick," I muttered.

"That's really not the point, Dimka," she said sternly.

I sighed. "Sorry." Glancing at the clock on the wall, I saw that it was getting late. "I should go now, Mama. I'm really tired. Talk to you later?"

"Sure, Dimka," she answered, her voice softer again. "But please don't become like your sister. I'd like to hear from you more often."

"I know," I murmured.

"Alright. Good night, Dimka."

Even though I really was tired, I had trouble falling asleep that night. After a long hour of tossing and turning, I finally fell into a dreamless sleep, but woke up way too early. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I decided to get up and go for a run. I had to remind myself that I had to be quiet now that there was another person in the house who was probably still asleep.

As I jogged through the empty streets, I thought about what I was going to do with Tasha. I'd already told Mama I was going to break up with her so I might as well get it over with. It was for the best anyway. I didn't feel the way Tasha obviously felt about me. Despite her angry outbursts, I knew she cared a lot more about me than I cared about her.

When I was on my way back home, the sun had come up and there were cars driving down the streets now. Victor was already walking his dog as well; he waved at me from across the street when I passed, but thankfully he didn't try to stop me so he could question me some more about Rose. I was out of breath when I finally arrived – and very thirsty. I walked into the kitchen and found Rose sitting at the table, munching on some cornflakes.

"Morning, comrade," she greeted me cheerfully. "I see you've been busy already."

I smiled at her and opened the fridge to grab a water bottle. "Yeah, I wish I hadn't." I took a long sip of water. "I think it's going to be a very hot day," I said, still a little bit out of breath.

Rose frowned. "I could really do with some rain right now. This heat is starting to give me headaches."

Even when she was frowning, even when her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, wearing nothing but shorts and an old T-shirt of a rock band I didn't know – which was way too large for her tiny body – she still managed to look beautiful. I'd seen her in this outfit quite a few times, but it still surprised – and bothered – me that there seemed to be nothing that could make her look less attractive.

"I know right." Quickly, I looked away and gulped down the rest of my water, suddenly desperate to get away from her. "I need a cold shower," I muttered more to myself than her, starting for the door.

"Aren't you going to eat first?" Rose called after me. "You should eat something!"

"Later," I called back.

The ice cold shower helped me clear my head. Completely calmed down, I headed back downstairs. Rose was still sitting at the kitchen table, but this time I was prepared. I would not allow myself to have these kind of thoughts about Rose again.

"Cooled off?" she asked, smiling up at me.

 _Why is she so pretty when she smiles?_

I blinked rapidly. "Y-yeah."

I turned around to grab the coffee pot, but Rose suddenly said, "I already made you some coffee."

Slowly, I faced her again and glanced down at the coffee mug on the table, already filled up to the brim.

"Thanks," I said, offering her a smile, as I sat down in my seat.

I'd barely started on my breakfast when the doorbell started ringing incessantly. Rose looked up at me with raised eyebrows and I shrugged before getting to my feet again. To my astonishment, it was Tasha who stood at the door. She didn't look happy, but she didn't look mad either.

"Hey, I was going to call you," I said carefully when she remained silent. "I wanted to drop by today so we could talk."

Taha smiled, but it looked rather forced. "Well, I guess I saved you the trouble then."

I glanced over her shoulder and saw that her nephew, Christian, was waiting in the car. I guess that meant she wasn't planning on staying long.

"Can I come in?" she asked politely.

I don't think I'd ever seen her this calm before. I wasn't sure if I could trust it, but I needed to get this over with so why not do it now?

"Sure," I answered, stepping aside so she could enter.

She walked straight to the kitchen. I followed her quickly because Rose was still there and I feared Tasha might have an outburst as soon as she saw Rose. But all Tasha did was give her a clipped nod.

"Hello," she said. She didn't sound as polite anymore, but she didn't snap either. "I would like to have a conversation with Dimitri in private. We need to talk about adult stuff."

Rose glanced over at me, raising her eyebrows again. "No problem."

"My nephew, Christian, is all alone in the car," Tasha said. Her fake smile crossed her face again. "Maybe you can keep him some company. You're the same age so it shouldn't be too hard to strike up a conversation."

I frowned at Tasha. Did she just seriously suggest that Rose should leave the house so we could talk in private? "Rose, you can just head upstairs if you want-"

To my surprise, there was an amused smile playing on her lips. "No, it's okay. I think I'll meet Christian." She gave me a look when she walked past me, whispering, "Good luck."

Tasha waited until the front door slammed shut before speaking. "So." She turned around to face me and sighed deeply. "I've been doing some thinking and…" She paused, turning away from me and pacing the kitchen floor.

"And?" I prompted.

Was she finally going to apologize for her behavior or was she here to tell me something else? The way she'd said she'd done some thinking sounded a little ominous. Maybe she was here to break up with me.

"And I think we should take a break," she said quickly. She looked me right in the eye now, glaring. "So _you_ can set your priorities straight. And when I come back, we'll-"

"Where are you going?" I interrupted.

"I am in desperate need of a vacation," she said dramatically. "I took some time off work and I'll be heading to my family's lake house for the rest of the summer. I hope you've realized what's really important in your life by the time I return."

"Actually, Tasha," I started. "I think we should-"

She stepped forward, shaking her head vehemently. "No, no, Dimka. You can't change my mind. We need this."

I didn't want to wait until the end of summer to break up with her. I wanted to do it _right_ _now_. Tasha had always been clingy; I'd never expected her to want to take a break so I should take the opportunity and tell her I wanted a clean break – like, _today_ , not the end of summer – now that she was calm and didn't look like she'd get too upset about it.

I made another attempt. "But Tasha-"

This time, she literally shushed me, pressing her finger against my lips. "I know it's difficult, but it's for the best. Just think long and hard about your life choices and when I come back…" She gave me an encouraging smile. "Then we'll be able to resume our relationship."

Before I could protest, she pecked my lips and then rushed out of the kitchen. It was like she didn't even want me to speak. I followed her down the hallway and outside. Rose was just getting out of the passenger's seat of the car and stood on the sidewalk, watching as Tasha flew past her and into the car.

"Tasha, wait!" I exclaimed.

But Christian had started the engine, and when Tasha slammed the door shut, he sped away, leaving me with Rose on the sidewalk.

 **RPOV**

When Dimitri's girlfriend came waltzing into the kitchen like she owned the place, I knew there was something up. She'd been crazy mad last time she'd been here – which had been unfair to Dimitri, by the way – and now she was being so polite – but still patronizing – it made me suspicious. And I didn't even know her!

Either way, when she practically kicked me out of the house so she could talk to Dimitri, I grabbed this opportunity with both hands because, honestly, I did not want to be near Tasha when she burst out into anger as soon as he told her he wanted to break up. I was sure Dimitri could handle her by himself.

Sauntering outside, I looked at the car parked in front of the house. There was a boy sitting at the wheel who looked just like Tasha. Only he was the male younger version of her. I knocked on the window, startling him. He glanced up with wide fiercely blue eyes and started to frown immediately. When he realized I wasn't going to go anywhere, he rolled down the window.

"What?" he snapped.

 _Jesus, this one's got a temper! Just like his aunt…_

"Christian, right?" I said, smiling despite his attitude. "Your aunt sent me to talk to you. Can I come in?"

He rolled his eyes, but nodded. I stepped around to the other side of the car and slipped inside, settling down in the passenger's seat.

"I'm Rose," I said, holding out my hand.

He didn't shake my hand. Instead, he crossed his arms. "I'm Christian," he said reluctantly. "But I guess you already knew that."

I dropped my hand in my lap and glanced him over. Aside from his jet-black hair, he was all dressed in black. It made him look even paler. I didn't know what he was trying to accomplish with this outfit in the middle of the summer.

"Are you trying to be an angsty, rebellious teen?" I asked.

He scowled at me. "Is this your attempt at making conversation? Cause you're not good at it."

"Neither are you," I shot back, leaning back against the seat.

Finally, a small smile tugged at his lips. He said nothing, though.

"So do you, like, live with your aunt?" I asked after a few moments. It was kind of difficult to keep this conversation going, seeing as it was so one-sided.

"Nah," he responded. "She just asked me to come with and entertain you while the _grownups_ talk." He made air quotes when he said 'grownups'.

"Well, you're not doing a great job at entertaining me so far," I told him. I was glad he was starting to talk, though, because it'd become awkward pretty quickly otherwise.

He shrugged. "I never said I would. I just agreed to coming along." He brushed his hair out of his eyes and _really_ looked at me for the first time since I got inside the car. His ice blue eyes were unsettling me, but I tried not to show it. "So you're the girl Dimitri has decided to take in, huh? My aunt's been ranting about you two for over a week." He frowned. "It's really annoying. I'm kind of glad she's going on vacation."

"You don't like your aunt?" I asked cautiously.

He shrugged again, looking out the windshield. "Sure I do. But not when she's complaining about her boyfriend." He glanced back over at me. "You didn't answer my question."

"I didn't realize it was a question," I muttered. This boy was so weird. "But yes, I'm that girl. So you hate me because I'm messing up your aunt's relationship?"

He snickered. "No. Why would I?" He paused for a moment, then said in a soft voice, "I actually think it's cool what he's doing." He almost looked embarrassed for admitting that and breaking his so-called cold façade. "Don't tell aunt Tasha I said that."

I snorted. "Don't worry. We're not that close."

A slow grin spread across his face. "Obviously."

I was about to say something, but then I noticed Tasha leaving the house, coming towards us, quickly followed by Dimitri.

"I'd say it was nice to meet you, but…" I shrugged at him, grinning.

This time Christian's smile was genuine. "See you around, Rose."

I got out of the car and moved to the sidewalk. Tasha stormed past me and pulled open the car door, practically jumping inside, as Dimitri called out for her. He looked a little bit agitated. Tasha didn't wait, however.

"Everything okay?" I asked as Dimitri watched the car drive away with a frown on his face. He didn't answer; he seemed lost in thought. I stepped closer to him and nudged his arm. "Hey, you okay?"

Dimitri blinked and looked at me. "Uh, yeah. I just…" He shook his head absentmindedly. "I wanted to break up with her, but she didn't give me a chance to talk."

I frowned. "What did she tell you?"

He started to smile. "Well, she suggested we should take a break."

I looked at him in surprise. "What?"

He nodded. "It's fine by me, but I would've rather broken up for real. Now I still have to tell her when she gets back from her vacation."

"Christian told me she was going away, yeah," I said.

Dimitri looked rather dismayed that he didn't get to break up with her today so I nudged his arm again and smiled up at him teasingly. "Maybe you can prep the perfect speech to break things off by the time she comes back. Maybe she won't even be upset. Until then, enjoy your freedom."

He let out a small laugh, shaking his head at me. I laughed, too, and he put his hand on my shoulder. His touch was only brief, but it was enough to send shivers down my spine. And by that I mean the good kind. Like…the kind you shouldn't be feeling when you already have a boyfriend.

Still smiling, Dimitri said, "Come on, let's go back inside."

As I followed him back inside, I tried to figure out why I was attracted to a man several years older than me. I should be attracted to boys my age. Like Christian. I crinkled my nose and furrowed my brows at the thought alone. Never mind that. I should be attracted to my boyfriend Mason – and him alone.

But my body didn't tingle where Mason touched me; I didn't feel any sparks when his fingertips brushed my skin. I didn't even feel excited when he kissed me. What the hell was wrong with me?! _Don't be ridiculous, Rose_ , I chastised myself. _It's not a crime to be attracted to someone other than your boyfriend. Stop overthinking it._

Before Dimitri could notice my internal struggle, I dashed upstairs and hid in my room until Dimitri called out from downstairs that he was leaving for work. I waited a few more moments until I was sure he was really gone before going back downstairs.

The past few days we'd been busy setting up my room, but now that was finished I had nothing else to do. I reminded myself that I should ask Lissa to bring my laptop next time I saw her. Walking over to Donatello's tank, I watched him gnaw on a carrot for a while. Yesterday, Dimitri took him out and let me pet him. I thought he might bite me because he didn't know me that well, but Donatello had allowed me to run my fingers over the top of his head and his shell. I'd sat on the floor while he'd crawled around me for a bit until Dimitri put him back in his tank.

I wondered if I could take him out again. Dimitri had said the tank needed to be cleaned soon, but it had been late last night. I figured I could do it right now to surprise him. Besides, I had nothing else to do. I would've visited Lissa, but she was out with her friends. I didn't feel like going all the way up there just for Mason. He'd apologized for the way he'd behaved when I'd come over so we weren't exactly fighting anymore, but things were still tense between us. Our phone calls were brief and we didn't text each other all that much.

Something had changed – and the fact that I was doubting my feelings for him didn't help matters. I'd always thought I needed more time for my feelings to grow into something more, something like love. But now, thanks to my body's reaction to Dimitri whenever he touched me – even if it was for the briefest of moments – I wasn't so sure anymore. Why didn't I have those reactions when my own boyfriend touched me? Was there really something wrong with me?

 _Don't go there again._

I was being really stupid, I knew that. What was the big deal anyway? So what if I thought Dimitri was hot? My friend Adrian thought every girl was hot, but he never stopped loving Sydney. _But you don't love Mason… At least not like that._

"Shut it," I muttered to myself, shaking my head.

I really needed a distraction from my troubles so I decided I'd go ahead and clean the tank. I knew Dimitri had a container to transport Donatello. It was in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. I filled it with water before going back to the living room, careful not to splash the floor, and then I placed one of Donatello's rocks in it.

"It's only temporary," I told the turtle as I carefully picked him up and set him down in the container. To appease him I threw in some extra veggies for him to gnaw on while I cleaned his home.

It was only then that I realized I'd never cleaned a turtle tank before and that I had no idea what to do about the filters and the heaters. _Oh God, what am I doing?_ Fishing out my phone, I looked it up on the internet. With the instructions I'd found, I started to remove the filters and the heaters and cleaned them in the kitchen sink. That was the easy part. Now I had to empty the tank somewhere.

I had no idea where Dimitri emptied the tank, but I was pretty sure he was a lot stronger than me and could carry the tank around wherever he wanted. I, on the other hand, was small and not that strong. Still, I couldn't just leave it like that. Donatello couldn't circle around in the container forever.

Unlocking the front door, I pushed it open and then ran back to the living room. Lifting the tank, I managed to carry it outside to the kerb, where I let the dirty water flow into the street drains. With great relief, I set the empty tank down next to my feet and blew out a breath.

When I looked back up, I saw the old man standing on his lawn, watching me with curiosity. Dimitri had told me he was nosy and too curious for his own good but harmless. I wasn't sure if I should go over and introduce myself or go back inside. He did seem harmless, but I didn't want to be the town's new gossip either. I settled for a wave, which he returned with a hesitant smile, and then I lifted the tank again, groaning and moaning all the while, and carried it to the driveway where I rinsed it with the garden hose.

It took me over two hours to finish the job, mostly because I kept checking my phone to see if I was doing it the right way. I was very pleased with the result, though, and felt satisfied with myself when I finally placed Donatello back into his home.

"Don't tell Dimitri I've fed you too much today, okay?" I told Donatello as I gave him some lettuce as a reward for being so patient with me.

I decided to take a shower before eating lunch – I really needed it. Afterwards, I was back to doing nothing, already wishing it was next week. I'd never thought it possible that I was looking forward to working in a diner, but I could hardly wait. I was glad when five o'clock came around and I could start on dinner. It was just about ready when Dimitri came walking in.

"Just in time for dinner, comrade!" I said with a grin as I set the table. Thankfully, my internal struggle from earlier was over and I didn't feel weird around him.

"It smells good," Dimitri commented, walking over to see what we were having for dinner.

"It's simple. Salmon and rice with broccoli," I said, giving him an apologetic look.

"That's great. Thanks, Rose." He glanced at me and smiled. "You do know you don't have to do this every day, right? Or, like, ever."

I laughed. "Yes, you tell me that every day." I put our plates on the kitchen table and motioned for him to sit down. "But it's okay. I want to keep busy." I sat down across from him and cut off a piece of the salmon, praying it would taste alright. Thankfully, it did. Smiling, I said, "I think I'm getting the hang of it now."

Dimitri smiled back. "I think you're a great cook."

The rest of dinner was spent in a comfortable silence. My arms were a little bit sore from lifting the heavy tank all by myself and I'd cut the inside of my arm on the edge when I was carrying it around. It was a small cut, and it had barely bled, but Dimitri noticed anyway.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Oh, I cut myself when I was cleaning Donatello's tank," I answered. I gave him a hesitant smile. "I thought I'd surprise you."

Dimitri stopped eating for a moment as he stared at me. In fact, he stared at me in such a way, almost as if he was in awe, that it made me blush.

"You cleaned his tank?" he said at last. "All by yourself?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I hope that's okay. I mean-"

Dimitri shook his head, smiling. "What am I going to do without you, Rose?"

I was pretty sure I was as red as a tomato right now. "Really, it's nothing. I wanted to do it. But don't worry, I looked everything up. Everything's just the way it was, I promise."

"I can't believe you did this for me. You didn't have to."

"I know."

Dimitri was still beaming at me; I was happy that he was happy. "Thank you so much, Rose."

I smiled back at him. "You're welcome, comrade."

We resumed dinner and, afterwards, I asked him to check on the tank – just in case. He told me I did a perfect job and thanked me again. Still smiling, I was about to clear the table and wash the dishes when he told me to sit down and rest for a minute.

"It's okay," I told him. "I'll help."

"No, I'll handle the dishes," he returned, practically pushing me out of the kitchen. "Go call your sister. I know you always call her around this time."

I gave him a grateful smile before heading upstairs. But tonight my phone call to Liss ended after two minutes because she was still hanging out with her friends. I didn't mind. I was glad she was having a good time. She deserved that.

I decided to call Mason as well. I was sure our conversation would go exactly the way it always went these days, but I had to try. Maybe things would be better once school started again. It was all I could hope for, really.

"Hey," I said when he picked up after the third ring.

"Hey," he responded.

"How are you?" I asked.

It took a while for him to answer. I heard some shooting in the background and then Eddie shouting that he was dead and that it was Mason's fault because he wasn't paying attention. They were playing on the Xbox again. It seemed like that was all Mason did these days.

Finally, he answered, "I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"Fine," I returned, suppressing a sigh. I wanted to tell him about my new room, but I thought he might get upset if I mentioned Dimitri again. "So…which game are you playing?"

But instead of replying, Mason was talking to Eddie. I rolled my eyes, wondering why I was even bothering. It was obviously a bad time to call.

"Mason, I should go," I said, my voice sharp. "We'll talk later. Bye."

I didn't wait for a response and hung up. Groaning, I let myself fall back against the pillows and stared at the ceiling. Why was this so hard? Mason and I had always been close, but ever since I'd left town he barely took the time to talk to me. Maybe he was still angry that I never told him I was leaving. Maybe he didn't want to admit that and pretended to be fine. He wasn't doing a very good job at pretending, though.

When I finally came back downstairs, Dimitri was hunched over his laptop, working on his book cover design. I'd looked up his previous work on the internet and I had to say I was impressed. I'd never been a big fan of reading, but I was sure that if I'd had drawings in my books I would've been much nicer to my English teacher in middle school.

Dimitri's work was mainly for kids – mostly he drew for children's books, sometimes cover designs – but I was actually kind of curious to see it because I couldn't find _that_ much on the internet. I could probably just ask, but maybe he didn't want that kind of attention. In the short time that I'd known him, I knew that he was the kind of person who had difficulty to accept a compliment. He'd probably feel embarrassed if I showed interest in his work, though he should be proud because what I'd found on the internet so far was actually pretty damn good.

As Dimitri worked, I watched reruns of _Friends_ , which I used to watch all the time with Lissa. It was our favorite sitcom. I wondered if she was back home and watching it by herself as well now. Probably not. Stan was probably lounging on the couch, claiming the TV for himself.

Hours passed, but Dimitri never took a break once. It wasn't the first time this happened. I wondered how he wasn't exhausted yet. Bored of watching TV all alone, I wandered over to where he was sitting. He glanced up at me briefly, a smile on his face.

"You've been at it for hours, comrade," I said. "Shouldn't you stop? It's kind of getting late."

"Is it?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's, like, ten o'clock."

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. "I didn't realize it was that late."

"You've already worked all day in the bookstore. It's about time you take a break." I started to pull his chair away from the desk, grinning. "Come watch TV with me."

Dimitri chuckled. "Alright, alright." He started to get up so I stopped pulling at the chair. "Let me take a shower first. I'll be right back."

I smiled, satisfied, and returned to the couch. Dimitri had the day off tomorrow so maybe we could watch a movie together. When he came back ten minutes later, in a plain old T-shirt and his PJ bottoms, I asked if he was up for it.

"Sure," he said, settling down next to me on the couch.

I handed him the remote. "You choose. But no Western this time," I warned in a teasing voice.

Last time we'd watched a movie together, we'd watched an old Western. It had bored me to death and even though I'd tried my best to stay awake I'd fallen asleep barely thirty minutes into the movie and, if I were to believe Dimitri, I had been snoring.

He grinned. "I wouldn't dare."

We settled on a good old-fashioned horror movie. Dimitri was creeped out, which I thought was pretty funny.

"Are you okay, comrade?" I joked, playfully bumping my shoulder against his. "You look a little pale."

He looked at me, a wry smile on his face. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

I looked at him innocently. "It's going to be okay. These old movies are so fake. It's not realistic so don't be scared."

He rolled his eyes at me, but he was still smiling. "I'm not scared. But that Freddy Krueger song is giving me the chills."

"That is a little bit creepy, yeah," I admitted.

I hadn't realized until we were nearing the end of the movie that I was still leaning into Dimitri's side. It surprised me I hadn't noticed, but what surprised me even more was that Dimitri hadn't moved away. Maybe he hadn't noticed either. It was strange how much things had changed between us since I'd first moved in. I'd never been uncomfortable around Dimitri, but I'd never thought I'd be _this_ comfortable around him and I had to admit that I liked it.

Even though I'd only met him a few weeks ago, it felt like I'd know him for ages and he was one of the few people I could actually really be myself with. Which was really weird for me because it usually took a long time before I opened up to someone. But somehow it was different with Dimitri. Maybe that was why I was attracted to him – aside from his hotness of course. Maybe I was attracted to him because he made me feel at ease and…safe. _Maybe, maybe… Maybe you should just stop overthinking everything, Rose_ , I chastised myself. _And for real this time. Because all this wondering and brooding isn't doing you any good._

There was one thing that I was certain of, though, and that was that I was grateful to have met Dimitri. My life would be a whole lot different if we hadn't crossed paths. A smile crept onto my face as I glanced up at him. He was so focused on the movie he didn't notice. Still smiling, I glanced back to the TV and rested my head against his shoulder, without wondering what the hell it meant. I felt his eyes on me for a brief moment, but he said nothing and we finished watching the movie in a comfortable silence.

* * *

 _Aww, what a cute ending! So what did you think of Tasha's proposition? It was a little bit weird for her to be this calm, right? How do you feel about Christian? You think he and Rose are gonna be friends? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Thank you very much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

 **RPOV**

After a week of waiting tables in the diner I was glad I had the weekend off. I really needed those two days to recover because my feet hurt like a bitch. What had made it bearable was Dimitri coming over during his lunchbreak. The bookstore was a walking distance away so now that I worked here he'd decided to eat in the diner to 'support' me. Honestly, I was happy to see a familiar face and I made sure I was his waitress every time he dropped by. Sometimes Mikhail let me take my break at the same time Dimitri was there so we could have lunch together.

Before this job, I'd never worked a day in my life – I hadn't needed to because Dad had provided for everything – and I'd heard stories about horrible bosses, but I had to say that Mikhail was one of the kindest people I'd ever come across. He had a beautiful wife named Sonya and two adorable kids. They usually came on Friday for lunch.

I'd met Dimitri's boss, Alberta, as well, who came along with Dimitri one day. She looked like a stern woman, but she was actually really nice. Apparently Dimitri had told her about his new roomie and she'd been desperate to meet this person because, according to her, Dimitri wasn't really a people person. _He's keen on his privacy_ , she'd confided, to which Dimitri had started to protest immediately, obviously embarrassed.

Anyway, I was glad to be earning money so I could repay Dimitri for the gas. I drove at least once, sometimes twice, a week back to my hometown to see Lissa. I'd feel better once I was able to pay for my own gas.

Today was one of those days where I made the trip back to Scranton to visit Lissa…and Mason. I wasn't sure yet how that'd go, which made me a little bit nervous, but as soon as I saw Lissa my worries about my boyfriend disappeared. She had two huge bags with her, and as she walked towards me, I noticed that one of them was moving. My eyebrows rose in surprise as I watched the bag more closely. I almost got up from the bench, but decided against it. Instead, I waited patiently.

"Hey, Rose," Lissa said cheerfully as she stopped in front of me, her cheeks red from the effort of carrying two large bags by herself.

"What's in that bag?" I asked cautiously, almost dreading the answer. There was definitely something moving inside of it.

Lissa smiled and dropped the other bag in my lap. "I brought your laptop like you asked. Some more photographs. Clothes. Stuff you need," she said with a shrug.

I frowned at her as I placed the bag on the ground, near my feet. "You know I'm not talking about _this_ bag." I pointed at the bag she was still holding. "What's in that one?"

"Oh." Lissa blushed furiously. Sitting down next to me on the bench, she looked at me and bit down on her lower lip. Clearly, she was nervous about something and I was pretty sure it had something to do with what's inside that bag. When I heard a muffled noise coming from it, almost like a cry, I raised an expectant eyebrow at her and finally she said, "Please don't get upset, Rose."

 _Oh no._

"What?" I said, exasperated.

Still gnawing on her lower lip, she zipped open the bag. A small head popped out and I gasped when I realized it was a cat. It was brown with black stripes running along its back, but its belly and paws were white. I scrunched up my nose as it stared at me with its big yellow eyes, meowing loudly.

"Rose, meet Oscar," Lissa said, smiling nervously. "Oscar…this is Rose."

I was still staring at the cat, shell-shocked. I didn't particularly like cats so when Oscar jumped out of the bag and into my lap, I gasped and my first instinct was to push it off, but then it stared at me again with those big eyes – which kind of looked sad – and I changed my mind. Slowly, I reached out with my hand and patted its head. The cat immediately started purring.

"Oh see! He likes you already," Lissa gushed.

"He's kinda fat," I told Lissa when he lay down on my lap. "Whose is he?"

Lissa shrugged. "I found him hiding in the shed two days ago. He didn't have a tag and he looked rather sad so I gave him some milk and…well…he started following me around so I guess he's mine now."

I shook my head. "You shouldn't have given him milk. No wonder he followed you around. Now he's expecting you to feed him."

Lissa hesitated. "I was kind of hoping you'd feed him."

I'd been patting Oscar's back, but now my hand stopped moving abruptly. "What?"

"Aunt Janie doesn't want me to keep it because Stan is allergic," Lissa explained.

"Of course," I muttered, my mood plummeting instantly at hearing his name.

"So I was hoping you would take care of him," Lissa continued, a hopeful look on her face. "It would mean a lot to me."

I looked down at Oscar. He'd stopped purring and was giving me an expectant look. When I started to stroke his back again, he closed his eyes and lay his head back down on my lap. "Liss… You know I can't do that."

"Why not?" Lissa looked at me pleadingly. "I'm sure Dimitri wouldn't mind if you asked."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "It's not that simple. I can't just take this cat to his house and ask if I can keep it. What am I going to do if he says no?"

"But he won't," Lissa said.

I cut her a look. "You don't even know him, Lissa."

"Maybe not," she admitted, "but you've told me a lot about him and I don't think he'd say no to you."

I started to frown again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She gave me a knowing look. "Come _on_ , Rose. The guy renovated a room for you." Before I could comment on that, she started to beg. "Please do this for me. He just looks so sad." She reached out and scratched the cat behind its ears. "He _needs_ a home. A good home."

"I don't even like cats." My protest was weak and Lissa knew it. Oscar seemed to know it, too, because he started meowing again. They weren't going to give up easily. "I'm really not sure about Dimitri," I tried again.

"Just ask him," Lissa pressed. "He's used to taking strays into his home," she added in a joking manner, grinning at me now.

"Excuse me?" I exclaimed, glaring playfully. "This isn't helping your case."

Lissa gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but… _Please_?"

I sighed deeply. "Fine. I'll ask."

"Thank you!" Lissa exclaimed, leaping forward to hug me. Her arms were so tightly wrapped around me that I thought she might strangle me. "You have to take him with you today, though. I can't take him back home. Stan's coming over later."

I scowled. "Fine, fine."

Lissa looked extremely relieved, but it was only for a brief moment. "There's something else I got to tell you."

I glanced down at Oscar, shaking my head. "What has she been up to now?"

"Nothing," Lissa exclaimed in defense. I gave her a dubious look. "I swear, it's no big deal." She started to blush then, smiling shyly. "I, uh, I got together with Aaron."

An uncomprehending silence fell over us as I stared at her. "Got together like _what_?" I asked at last, already dreading the answer.

She shrugged awkwardly. "You know… We got together. We're…dating now."

I pursed my lips together. "Please tell me you're kidding." When she said nothing, I exclaimed, "Aaron Drozdov? Really?! He's so boring!" She started to protest, but I cut her off, "Yes, he is, Liss! You told me so yourself! He's not your type at all. Besides, you're way too young to be dating."

Lissa was laughing at me now. "Oh my God, Rose! Are you my mom now?"

I scowled. "No. I'm your sister and I'm looking out for you."

"You don't have to be worried about me dating Aaron. He's, like, the nicest guy around. So what if he's a little bit boring?" She smiled. "I bet I can change that."

I wasn't done lecturing, though. Sternly, I continued, "But you shouldn't be with someone you just _like_. You should love the person."

Lissa raised an eyebrow at me. "Like you love Mason?"

I gaped at her, shocked. "I – I love Mason," I spluttered after a few moments, blinking fast.

"I'm sure you do," Lissa answered, "but you're not in love with him." I opened my mouth to speak, but this time she cut me off. "I have eyes, Rose."

"Great, I have eyes too," I muttered. I realized I was being a petulant child right now, but I didn't care. "Do you see them rolling at your ridiculous assumption right now?"

Lissa sighed. "Fine, we'll stop talking about it. But one of these days you gotta face the truth."

I was still frowning, but I refused to say anything else about the matter. I looked down at Oscar again and scratched him under his chin, trying to distract myself.

"So how's Mom?" I asked after a long silence. On my way over here, I'd told myself I wasn't going to ask about her, but now I was doing it anyway. I didn't know why I still cared. I shouldn't.

"She's doing alright," Lissa answered. "Could be better, but… I think she's trying to get it together."

"Oh, really?" My voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"She is," Lissa said earnestly. "She hasn't taken any pain killers in a week. And… she's drinking less than usual. She comes out of her room more often."

I wasn't going to admit it out loud, but I was glad to hear she was doing somewhat better. I wondered why she suddenly had a change of heart, though.

As if Lissa was reading my mind, she continued quietly, "I think she's doing it for you. She doesn't talk about you, but I can see she misses you. Maybe she wants to get her act together before contacting you."

"There's no point because I'm not going to answer her calls as long as Stan is in her life," I muttered. "I'm done with him."

"Yeah, well, he still comes around often," Lissa murmured, looking down at her lap. "He can't seem to stay away. And she doesn't want him to stay away."

"And that's the problem," I finished. "If it weren't for him, Mom would've never been addicted to pills and booze. It all went to hell when he came into the picture."

"She's trying to better her life, though."

I sighed. "So you've said. But how long is it going to last?"

It was a rhetorical question. Lissa looked like she was going to answer anyway, but was interrupted when my phone started ringing. The noise startled Oscar so much he jumped away from me and back into Lissa's lap. Taking out my phone, I saw that it was Dimitri.

I answered his call with a smile. "Hey, comrade. What's up?"

"Hey, I was wondering if you're going to be home for dinner," Dimitri said. "I'm making your favorite. Mac and cheese."

I grinned. "Hell yeah. I'll be there." Lissa arched an eyebrow at me, but I ignored her. "Do you need me to go to the store?"

"No, I've got everything I need. Thanks."

"Okay, see you later then, comrade."

Lissa was still looking at me as if I'd grown two heads or something. When I dropped my phone back into my purse, I looked up at her.

"What?"

But all she said was, " _Comrade_? Really?" Then she started grinning. "I didn't realize you guys were already giving each other nicknames."

"Don't look at me like that," I said with a scowl. "It's just a nickname. It means nothing," I added slowly so she'd comprehend what I was saying. "Besides, it fits him. You know I'm great at giving people nicknames."

"Oh yes," Lissa snorted. "I remember you calling Adrian Clark Kent when he got those glasses. Very original."

"But he looked just like him!" I protested. "And Adrian got rid of those glasses after, like, two days. He's wearing contacts now."

Lissa rolled her eyes before cutting me a look. "God knows why."

When Lissa was about to leave to see Aaron, I decided to call Mason and ask him if he could come to the park. I could hardly leave Oscar inside the car while I was over at his house. Before Lissa left, she helped me put the bags in my car. Her goodbye to Oscar took a lot longer than the one she gave me. Apparently the cat was more important now.

Still holding Oscar in my arms, I walked around the pond before returning to the bench. It took Mason thirty minutes to get here. But when he finally did, he was all smiles. It was kind of surprising because our relationship had been rocky lately.

"Hey," he said, wrapping his arms around me and practically squeezing Oscar to my chest. "I've missed you." He glanced down, his eyes wide in surprise. "Who's this little guy?"

"Oscar," I said, pulling away from him so Oscar could breathe. "He's Lissa's, but she can't take care of him anymore."

"And you can?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sure," I responded, almost defensive. "I can take him home. It's no problem."

"Home?" Mason said then, his smile disappearing.

I hadn't realized what I'd said until that moment. This town had always been home. I was born and raised here. But it stopped being my home a long time ago. For a while, I'd thought I'd never have a home again, but I realized now that I did have a home again. A place I could truly call home, too.

"Yes," I answered without hesitation as a small smile crossed my face. "I'm sure he'll like it there," I murmured, scratching behind Oscar's ears again.

"So I figure you really like it there, huh?" Mason muttered, kicking at the grass. He didn't look upset, but he didn't look happy either. I felt like I hadn't said anything wrong, though, so I wasn't going to apologize.

"Yes, I do."

A part of me feared he _was_ going to get upset by that answer, but all he said was, "Good. That's good."

Relieved, I sat back down on the bench and placed Oscar in my lap. "So what's up? You doing okay?"

He sat down next to me and reached out for my hand, lacing our fingers together. His hand was soft but sweaty, and for some reason I was thinking about that time when I'd felt Dimitri's hand in mine. I didn't feel a spark when I was holding Mason's hand, but I did feel it whenever my hand touched Dimitri's for a brief moment. That didn't happen a lot, but when it did, I _felt_ it through my whole body. Once again I was reminded of my internal struggle and Lissa's words from earlier. I hadn't wanted to admit it, but maybe she was right _. She_ is _right. You know she is._

I ignored the whiny voice inside my head and listened to what Mason had been up to the last couple of days. He told me he'd been to New York with Eddie to watch the baseball game. The Yankees had won against the Red Sox, which didn't come as a surprise. I wished I'd been there with him, too. _See? You do want to spend time with Mase…_

I hadn't realized I'd zoned out until Mason said, "Enough about me. Tell me, how are things going with you over there? I know you like it there, but you haven't exactly told me much."

"Well…there isn't much to tell," I answered with a shrug. "I don't do much, really. I work in the diner now during the week and… I hang out with Dimitri when he's not working. That's pretty much it. Oh, I'm cooking now," I added with a grin.

"Really?" he said, almost in disbelief. "Like…real food?"

"Yes. I've got enough time to kill, and now that we're finished with my room, there isn't really much else to do around the house except maybe watching _Friends_ with Donatello."

"Who's Donatello?"

I grinned. "Dimitri's turtle. He's a real cutie." Taking out my phone, I showed him a picture of Don. "You want to see pictures of my new room, too?"

"Can't I come over and see it in person?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I was taken aback for a moment. "Oh." I bit down on my lower lip. "I don't know. I think it's too soon for that. I mean, Dimitri-"

"No, I get it," he cut me off, his voice gruff. He removed his hand from mine. "It's his house. He probably doesn't want any strangers in it, right?"

I felt my cheeks redden. "I can ask."

"No, it's okay," Mason responded with a shake of his head. "It's better we meet at my place anyway. My parents are barely home so at least we'll be alone then."

I didn't protest. Mason already didn't seem to like Dimitri so it was better if he didn't come over. Besides, it would only be awkward if he did meet Dimitri. _Awkward for who?_

I was relieved when it was time to go home. Thankfully, I had an excuse to leave early. It was an excuse Mason didn't particularly liked because it involved Dimitri, but I didn't really care. Maybe I should, but Mason was going to have to get used to the idea of me living with Dimitri. How was I ever going to be able to invite him over if he couldn't muster up any kindness for the man who'd given me a home?

Oscar was calm on the way back home. He stayed in the backseat the whole time without distracting me. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all… And hopefully Dimitri would be okay with Oscar staying with us. When I arrived, I left the bags in the car and picked up Oscar, feeling slightly nervous. Fishing out my keys, I unlocked the front door and walked inside. I heard noise in the kitchen so that's where I headed. _Oh boy, Dimitri's going to regret making my favorite now…_

"I'm home," I called, pushing the door open a little and popping my head inside.

Dimitri was at the sink, washing his hands. "Oh, hey." He stopped what he was doing and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "What's up?" he asked when I didn't make a move to come inside.

"Umm…" I hesitated, biting down on my lower lip. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Alright," he said slowly, drying his hands on the towel. "Why don't you come inside so we can talk?"

I smiled, but it was forced. "Great idea, but-"

I gasped when Oscar suddenly jumped out of my arms and landed on the floor, strutting right into the kitchen. Dimitri's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the cat before looking back up at me. I suppressed a sigh and pushed open the door further, walking in as well.

"Oh, well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now," I joked, plastering a grin across my face that was way too wide. Quickly, I scooped Oscar back up and scowled at him. "You impatient little brat. Couldn't you wait a minute longer?"

But all he did was meow at me. This time I did sigh. Walking over to Dimitri, who was still staring in shock, I said, "This is Oscar. Liss wants me to take care of him because she can't. My mom won't allow it." I gave Dimitri a cautious look. "I told her I couldn't just take him here – I mean, this is your house – but she was pretty adamant. I'm sorry."

But Dimitri was smiling. "Oscar, huh?"

I nodded. "It's okay if he can't stay here. I understand."

Dimitri shook his head. "It's fine. I don't mind."

I looked up at him in surprise. "Are you serious?"

He just shrugged. "Sure. He looks…calm."

"He is," I answered. "I think." I looked down at Oscar. "I'm not a huge fan of cats, but when Lissa starts begging I can't say no to her."

"Oh, I'm familiar with that," Dimitri laughed. He reached out and scratched Oscar under his chin, who started purring immediately. "We'll keep him."

I gave him a grateful smile, relieved that he wasn't mad at me. Without thinking, I dropped Oscar to the floor, ignoring the crying sound that he emitted, and stepped forward to hug him. "Thank you, comrade."

It was clear that I'd caught him by surprise because he didn't react for a moment and, honestly, I was taken aback as well because this wasn't something I really did. I wasn't a hugger. Lissa and Mason were the exception for obvious reasons. But if I was being completely honest with myself, this was a pleasant surprise.

Finally, Dimitri wrapped his arms around me. My face was buried in his chest, which was lucky for me, because I was smiling and I didn't want him to see that. I didn't even know why I was smiling so much right now. Suddenly, that nagging voice inside my head started chanting Mason's name over and over again. _Why would you want a hug from Dimitri when you could have one from your boyfriend? You know…Mason?!_

Quickly, I pulled away from Dimitri before I got the chance to enjoy our hug a little too much. "Sorry. I probably smell like cat."

Dimitri blinked in surprise, looking just as flustered as I was. "Oh no, you smell nice." He took a step back, shaking his head, looking confused. "I should probably get started on dinner."

I nodded vehemently. "Right." I turned around and made for the door. "I'll run to the store to get some food for Oscar. Be right back."

Thankfully, things weren't awkward when I returned for dinner, but my mind was still on that hug, though. Why did I even do that? Had I been inappropriate? But it's not like Dimitri had pushed me away… _That's not the problem, Rose, and you know it. You shouldn't have hugged him in the first place because you already have someone to hug! Someone you're scared of inviting over because of the man sitting across from you._

"Rose."

My head snapped up and I almost dropped my fork. Dimitri was looking at me, a grave expression on his face and I didn't like it. Did something happen while I'd gone to the store? Was he going to tell me I shouldn't hug him because it was inappropriate?

"Y-yeah?" I stammered.

He looked cautious. "I know you don't like to talk about your mom, but…there's one thing you should consider."

I was so surprised he'd brought her up that I didn't even know how to react. It was so unexpected. When it became clear I wasn't going to say anything, he continued, clearing his throat, "Once you go back to school, it won't be that difficult for her to find you. It'll probably be the first place she'll look."

I sagged in relief. _Oh. I expected something worse._ "Don't worry, she's not going to do that."

"Alright," he said, "but she pays your school bills. She's the one that's invited for parent-teacher conferences. If you call in sick, they might call your mom to verify, but she wouldn't know because, well, you're not at home." I stared at him, my eyes wide. "You see where I'm going with this?" he said, the corner of his mouth turning up into a half smile.

"Yes," I whispered, feeling shocked.

"You might be right that she won't look for you, I don't know your mom," Dimitri said. "But it might come across as odd for school officials… Maybe they won't notice right away, but if they do find out you're not living at home…" He shrugged. "I know you think she won't search for you, but what if she does? I don't want to tell you what you need to do, but maybe you should consider having a talk with your mom. Make some sort of agreement."

I was still staring at him, my mouth agape. My mac and cheese completely forgotten, I shook my head and cursed under my breath. "Oh God, I'm so stupid," I groaned, burying my face in my hands.

"Rose," Dimitri said, almost stern, "don't do that. You're not stupid."

"I am!" I protested.

I felt Dimitri gently tug at my arms, trying to remove my hands from my face. With a sigh, I dropped my hands to the table, unable to meet his gaze. But then he moved his hand on top of mine and squeezed, trying to get my attention. Finally, I looked back up.

"I really didn't think things through when I ran away," I muttered unhappily. "I did it on a whim without _thinking_ at all! _God_!" I shook my head again. "And if you hadn't said anything, it would've never crossed my mind."

"There's no harm done," Dimitri said calmly. "Just talk to your mom. Tell her where you are. Tell her you're safe. That's all she needs to know."

"But I don't want to go back home," I told him. "I don't want to ever set foot in that house again."

"Then meet her someplace else," Dimitri suggested.

I nodded reluctantly. "I guess I'll have to." Dimitri's hand was still on top of mine and he squeezed it again in reassurance. I glanced up at him and mustered up a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said, offering a smile in return. "Just think about it. You still have time."

I nodded again. Looking down at my plate, I found that I'd lost my appetite. I went to bed early that night, taking Oscar with me. I'd let him sleep at the foot of my bed tonight, until I'd bought him his own bed or whatever it was that cats slept in. Dimitri had said he could sleep downstairs on the couch, but I didn't trust Oscar with Donatello yet.

"If you're going to bug me tonight, I'm kicking you out of bed," I warned Oscar as I made myself comfortable in bed. But Oscar seemed tired as well because he curled up at my feet and closed his eyes. Breathing a sigh of relief, I closed my eyes as well and fell asleep, leaving my worries behind for a few hours.

* * *

 _Remember Oscar the cat? I thought I should include him in this story as well! :D I hope you liked the chapter. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you very much for all the reviews! :)_

 _ **WARNING:** **This chapter contains a little bit of a graphic scene. Please read at your own discretion. I'm going to change the rating, too, from "T" to "M" due to its violent content.** _

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

 **RPOV**

I was in my room, trying to find the perfect dress to wear for tonight. I was going out with my friends, which I hadn't done in a long time so I was looking forward to blowing off some steam. One of Adrian's friends was hosting a party at his house; his parents were out of town so there'd be no chance of getting busted by them. It would be the last time our group of friends would get together this summer and it had only just started. Adrian and Sydney would be leaving for Italy tomorrow night, where they'd travel between cities for the remainder of the summer.

I was still deciding if I should wear my red halter dress, which was Mason's favorite, or if I should go for the strapless black dress, which was my favorite, when the door to my room slammed open and Stan waltzed inside as if he owned the place.

Realizing I was only wearing my underwear, I tried to cover myself up as best as I could and exclaimed in outrage, "What the fuck! Get out!"

Stan whistled as he stopped to ogle me, hands in his pockets. "Looking good, babe."

"GET OUT!" I screamed, holding the red dress in front of me as I stepped back to the wall.

Finally, he started to turn around. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then tensed up again when, instead of leaving, he only closed the door before turning back to face me with a wolfish grin on his face. "Stop screaming. You'll wake up your mother."

"That's the point," I said with clenched teeth. Still holding the dress against my body, I lifted my free hand and pointed my finger at the door. "You shouldn't be in here! _Go!_ "

"Aww, don't be a tease now," Stan said as he slowly walked closer, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

I didn't like how calm he was. All we ever did was scream and curse each other, and even though he'd made a few inappropriate remarks in the past, I'd never thought he actually meant it. I'd thought it was another way to provoke me. But the way he was eyeing me right now… It was kind of scaring me. He'd never been in my room before and he'd never done anything like this…until now.

"Get the fuck out!"

Stan started to scowl. He closed the distance in a flash and grabbed my wrist, hissing, "Shut up, you stupid little brat!" I tried to pull myself free, but his grip on my wrist was strong. I realized I was going to have to drop my dress to wrench his hand away. When I did, he made an appreciative noise that made me want to gag.

"That's more like it."

My cheeks reddened in embarrassment when I felt him look at my breasts. I wished I'd hurried up and chosen a dress before he'd barged in. I guess I should thank my lucky stars I wasn't naked.

"What the hell are you doing?" I cried out as I made an attempt to twist his hand away. "Let go of me."

"You're a fucking tease, do you know that?" he growled, only tightening his fingers around my wrist. He'd grabbed my other hand as well, pinning it down. He pushed me backwards. When my knees hit the back of the bed, I lost my balance and fell on the mattress. Before I could scramble off the bed, he'd moved on top of me, his hands pinning down my arms and his knees on either side of my legs, pressing them together so I couldn't kick him in the groin.

"Get off!" I screeched, pushing against his body. Tears were gathering in my eyes, but I willed myself not to cry. "What are you doing, Stan?"

He clasped his hand over my mouth. "You've been trying to seduce me for months and now that you've finally gotten me here you want to back out?" he hissed as his face contorted in anger. "You fucking whore! You rile me up and then-"

"Stop it!"

My voice sounded muffled with his hand over my mouth. I was still struggling against him, but he wouldn't budge. I thought it couldn't get any worse, but then he pressed his body against mine and I started struggling harder. Who would've thought that a skinny man like Stan would be so strong? His whole body was weighing me down, _touching_ me. it made me feel sick to my stomach.

When his free hand started roaming my body, I bit his palm, my teeth sinking deep into his flesh, as I kicked my legs over and over again. Shocked, he snatched his hand away and let out a yelp.

"You little bitch!" he roared, slapping me across the face. But then he started smiling. "So you like it rough, huh? I always thought you did."

"Stop! _Stop_!" I cried, trying to pull his hands away from my body. I gasped when one of his hands moved down to the front of my panties. " _No_! Please, no," I pleaded, still trashing.

"I like it when you beg," he breathed in my ear.

I wanted to throw up. I shut my eyes and started sobbing when, suddenly, he pulled away from me. It took a moment before I dared to open my eyes, but when I did, he was standing up and staring at something across the room. I rolled over, still whimpering, and saw my mom standing in the doorway. She said nothing; she just stared.

"Mom," I said, my voice breaking. Why wasn't she doing anything?

Stan held up his hands in surrender as he walked over to my mom. "We were just playing a game, Janine. Don't be upset."

"Get out!" Mom suddenly yelled. Her hands curled into fists and she started beating at his chest. "Get out! Get out! Get _out_!"

Stan was eerily calm. All he did was shrug and say, "Okay." But before he left, he turned around to look at me. A slow grin spread across his face and he said, "I'll come back for you."

I started crying again as he walked out the door, all the while his words echoing in my head. _I'll come back for you. I'll come back for you. I'll come back for you…_

* * *

I woke up with a start, breathing heavily, my body shaking. My cheeks were wet with tears and my heart was pounding.

"It was just a dream," I whispered to myself. "It was just a dream."

But when I shut my eyes, I saw it all happen again. I sat up in bed and stared into the dark, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. I wished Oscar was here. A few days ago, Dimitri and I had bought him his own basket, along with other stuff, and now he was sleeping downstairs. Glancing at my alarm clock, I saw that it was 3AM. Knowing I wasn't going to get any more sleep tonight, I got out of bed and went downstairs, trying to be as quiet as possible so I wouldn't wake Dimitri. Oscar wasn't asleep either when I got to the living room. He padded over to me when I entered and I picked him up before sitting down on the couch in the dark.

Ever since Dimitri had advised me to talk to my mom, I'd been worried – worried that Stan would find out. Or worse, that he'd find out where I was now. I hadn't called Mom yet because I was scared she was going to tell him and I didn't want that. I didn't want to face him, too. Not after what happened. Honestly, I didn't want to face my mom either, but Dimitri was right. Besides, Lissa said Mom missed me. Did she miss me enough that she wouldn't tell Stan as soon as I called her? If she still cared about me, she wouldn't tell him.

I sat there, unmoving, until the break of dawn. Oscar had fallen asleep on my lap by now so I carefully placed him back in his basket before heading back upstairs to get ready for work. I ate breakfast alone, which was just as well, because I didn't want Dimitri to see my face right now and notice something was wrong. Because he _would_ notice. He was just that kind of guy. I couldn't pretend with him.

I left him a note, though, saying I took off early, and then walked to the diner. Even though it was still early, Dimitri's old nosy neighbor was already out and about with his foxhound. He was staring again, and I was kind of getting sick of it, so instead of ignoring him, I walked across the street. I still had about half an hour before my shift started so there was time for a short introduction. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw me approach, but he smiled nonetheless.

"Hello," I said, mustering up a smile. His dog started barking, walking around me in circles as he sniffed me. "We've passed each other a couple of times, but I don't believe we've met in person. My name's Rose. I'm Dimitri's new roommate."

I held out my hand, waiting. I was a little surprised by my politeness, and so was he apparently. He stared at me for a few moments, as if shocked, and then shook my hand.

"Hello," he returned after a few moments. "I'm Victor. The neighbor from across the street."

My smile was a little forced. "Apparently so."

"So you're his roommate, huh?" He smiled. "Is that another word for _girlfriend_?"

I laughed, but it was kind of an awkward laugh. "Oh no. No, no," I said, shaking my head.

"Then he's still seeing Tasha Ozera?" he asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. _What a curious old man._

"I haven't seen her around lately," he continued, giving me an expectant look.

"Well, I don't know much about Dimitri's love life," I said evasively. "You should ask him."

"Hmm." He was quiet for a brief moment as he regarded me. "I asked Dimitri about you when you first moved here, but he wouldn't say much," Victor admitted. "I was starting to wonder if he was trying to keep you all to himself," he added in a joking manner. "Now I understand why. You're a lovely girl."

"Oh no, I'm just a little bit shy," I told him, though that was not true. "But I thought it was about time I came and introduced myself." _Hopefully, he'll stop staring now that he knows who I am…_ "So who's this?" I asked, carefully petting the dog on its head. He was still sniffing me and I started to wonder if I hadn't used enough soap during my shower this morning.

"His name's Bandit," Victor answered, pulling at the leash so he'd back off. "I was just about to take him out for a walk. Care to join me?"

Dimitri had warned me that he liked to gossip so I had to be careful with my words around him. I wondered who he gossiped with, though. Whenever I saw him, he was always alone – unless he talked to his dog.

I gave him an apologetic look. "I can't, sorry. I'm on my way to work."

I could see his interest was immediately piqued. "Where do you work?"

"At the diner," I answered. There was no harm in telling him that. "I should probably go now. I don't want to be late."

"Of course," he said with a nod. "I don't want to keep you. Well, it was nice to meet you, Rose. I hope we meet again soon so you can tell me all about yourself."

 _You wish._ This was all the information he was going to get about me, but he didn't need to know that.

Faking a smile, I said my goodbyes and walked away. I was sure Dimitri was right when he said the old man was harmless, but I didn't need him to start any rumors that might reach certain people's ears. I liked it here and I wanted to stay. The last thing I needed was to be dragged back home by the police. That didn't seem likely, though, because I was certain my mom hadn't filed a missing person's report, but one couldn't be too careful. The best thing for me was to stay low until I was officially an adult.

Mornings were usually busy at the diner. I liked it that way; it kept me occupied which meant I had little time to worry. My breaks were after the morning shift, when most of the customers had gone, and every time Mikhail let me eat a piece of his pies. Eating his pies was my favorite part of the job because it was free and it tasted really good. Today it was cherry pie on the menu. I was so hungry that I wolfed it down in two bites. As I did that, I complimented Mikhail on his pie-baking skills.

"You're going to make me fat," I whined when he gave me a second piece.

Suddenly, I heard someone scoffing. The noise came from behind me and I turned around in my seat to look who it was. I scanned the few people who were left in the diner and noticed with surprise that there was a new customer that I'd only seen once before. Christian.

When he saw me looking, he grinned at me before looking back down at his book. I'd been so focused on my pie I hadn't even seen him walk in. He was wearing all black again, which made his piercing blue eyes and pale skin stand out.

"Did I say something funny?" I said, crossing my arms.

"No, no," he said quickly. He had to bite back a smile. "Please. Don't let me keep you from your delicious pie."

Grabbing my plate, I hopped off the bar stool and walked over to his booth. "You wouldn't be so sarcastic if you knew how great this tasted." I sat down across from him and nudged the plate towards him. "Go on. I'm giving you permission to eat it."

"No, thanks," he said smirking.

"If you're not going to eat anything, then why are you here?" I asked.

With a raised eyebrow, he pointed at his chocolate milkshake. "If I knew you were going to be here, I wouldn't have come," he said after a few moments, though I could see he wasn't being serious. I wondered if this guy was ever serious. Probably not. "Since when do you work here?"

"I started a few weeks ago," I answered. "Now show some respect to Mikhail and eat his delicious pie."

"If I eat it, will you let me read my book in peace?" he asked.

I shrugged, grinning. "Maybe."

He closed his book and put it down on the table. With a dramatic sigh, he lifted the fork and cut off a tiny piece of pie before popping it in his mouth. Slowly, he munched on it. I folded my arms on the table and gave him an expectant look, but Christian remained silent on purpose.

"Well?" I demanded.

He shrugged, feigning disinterest. "It's alright."

I saw right through his façade, though, and smiled. "See! I knew you'd like it. You can have the rest of it," I added when I saw him eyeing the pie. "I've already gotten my piece today."

Now he was eyeing me with caution. "Why are you being so nice to me?" he asked after a few moments. "As you probably have noticed, I'm not a nice person."

"Oh yeah, I've noticed, but…" I shrugged, feeling awkward for a moment, but then I decided to go for honesty instead of humor. "I don't know a lot of people in this town and I thought I should at least make one friend."

"What about Dimitri?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, obviously he is my friend," I answered. "But he's not included right now. I meant that I should make a friend who's my age. You know?"

Christian nodded and sipped his milkshake. "Aunt Tasha will probably murder me, seeing as she doesn't like you very much, but I guess I could be your friend," he said, trying to sound careless, though he was smiling. "I don't have that many friends – no, wait, I don't have _any_." He was smirking again now. "So I guess I can tolerate one friend."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," he said, his face all serious now.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that my break was over. I started to get up. "Alright, I have to get back to work. See you around, Christian."

"Hey, wait," Christian called after me. I turned around and looked at him. "Do you…" He looked like he was having a difficult time speaking. His nose was scrunched up and he was frowning. "Do you want to hang out after your shift's over?"

Dimitri had a new assignment so he'd be working all day on his drawings, which meant I had all the time in the world. Smiling, I told him, "Sure."

He smiled back, relieved. "Cool."

I thought he was going to go home or do something else in the meantime, but he sat and waited in his booth, reading his novel, until my shift was over. I texted Dimitri I was hanging out with Christian, but I'd be home for dinner and then walked out of the diner with Christian.

"Is it okay if we drop by the bookstore first?" he asked. He lifted his book and added, "It's almost finished. I need a new one."

The sun was blinding my eyes so I slipped on my shades. "No problem."

"Is Dimitri working today?" he asked as we crossed the street.

"Nope," I answered. "He's at home, working on some drawings. He's got a new assignment. Do you read a lot?"

He shrugged. "I guess."

"But you probably haven't read any children's books lately, huh?"

He gave me a weird look. "I'm seventeen, Rose. Not a child."

"I know. But I've been trying to get my hands on one of Dimitri's books." I gave Christian a sheepish smile. "I want to see his drawings, but he's, like, really private about it. He doesn't like to get attention – or compliments for that matter."

"Why don't you ask Alberta? She's his biggest fan," Christian said, "or at least her daughter is."

"You know Alberta?"

"Yeah, I've been buying my books there since I was a kid. Lately, my aunt comes with me." He grinned. "That's where she met Dimitri."

"Oh. Is she still vacationing?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah. As far as I know," he said with a shrug. "I don't know when she'll be back. But honestly, I don't think she'll last until the end of summer at the lake house. She's waiting for Dimitri to take action…or something."

I made a face. "Then she'll be waiting a long time."

Christian nodded his agreement. "I'm sure she'll get over him. _Eventually._ "

Alberta greeted us happily when we entered the store. Christian started browsing books immediately while I talked to Alberta. I didn't know her that well, but I thought she was an awesome boss. At least, Dimitri never complained about her.

When Christian joined us, he had a small pile of books in his hands. "Have you asked her yet?"

"Asked me what?" Alberta said.

I cut Christian a look before focusing my attention back on Alberta. "Well… I was wondering if you had one of the children's books that Dimitri has illustrated. I looked up his work on the internet, but it's not the same. And he won't show me either because he doesn't like it when I give him compliments."

Alberta laughed. "Sounds familiar. He's always embarrassed when I tell him my daughter loves his illustrations. She's not a huge fan of reading, but the drawings make it all better," she added with a wink. She walked over to one of the bookshelves and picked out a book, handing it to me. _The adventures of Bolt the timber wolf._

"Whoa, how cool is this?!" I exclaimed as I looked at the beautiful wolf drawn on the cover. It was gray with a little bit of brown mixed in his pelt. His snout and the ears were a reddish-brown, almost copper. But his eyes were a fiery blue, like Christian's eyes. I started browsing through the book, then read the blurb on the back. It was about a timber wolf – obviously. He'd been in a nature park for years, kept there by humans and all by himself, but one day he escapes to go on an adventure and find a pack of his own. "He's really talented." I looked up at Alberta and smiled. "How much do I owe you?"

But she shook her head. "That's okay. You can have it."

I beamed at her. "Thanks!"

When we left the bookstore, Christian said, smirking, "Look at you, so giddy! You're almost a child again. I hope you're not like that all the time, otherwise I might have to revise my decision to be your friend."

I stuck out my tongue at him. "I just want to show interest in Dimitri's work. He's been really good to me."

It looked like Christian was going to make a joke, but then he thought better of it. "Yes, I guess he's a good person."

It was another hot day so we decided to go to the ice cream parlor further down the street. As we walked around town with our ice creams, Christian's mom called him and he had to run home to do some chores.

I didn't feel like going home yet because Dimitri would probably still be working and I didn't want to bother him so I walked to the park and found a spot on the grass under a willow tree, where I finished my ice cream and read about Bolt's adventures.

* * *

 _I hoped this chapter wasn't too explicit for some of you and I hope I haven't upset any of you, just know that it's not my intent! Also, I made up the whole book about Bolt the timber wolf, lol, so I'm sorry if it sounds ridiculous! I'm not that great at making up things so please forgive me :D I hope you still liked the chapter somewhat and have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you so much for all the positive reviews to last chapter! I'm so relieved! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11**

 **RPOV**

When I finally returned home, Dimitri was still sitting at his desk, sketching. But as soon as I entered the living room, he turned around in his chair and looked up at me with a smile.

"Did you have fun with Christian?"

"Yeah. I thought he was kind of weird at first, but he's alright." I smiled teasingly. "Kind of like you, comrade."

He furrowed his brows. "What's that supposed to mean? You thought I was weird?"

My smile widened. "No. But…you're antisocial and you like to read books. Like Christian."

He crossed his arms. "I see. Anything else you'd like to add?"

I grinned and walked over to him. "Don't worry, comrade. I still like you."

"What's that?" he asked, glancing down at my hands.

"I bought a book. Well, actually, Alberta gave it to me," I corrected. "And I need you to sign it for me."

He gave me a strange look. "What? Why?"

"Because…these are your illustrations and I think it's really cool." I showed him the book and his eyebrows rose in surprise. "So I need you to sign it. Pretty please."

He groaned, looking a little bit embarrassed. "I hope you didn't go out of your way to get that."

"No, no, Alberta had it in her store," I reassured him. "I know you didn't write it, but you made the drawings and without them, it wouldn't be as cool. So…" I gave him an expectant look and tapped the book. "Will you sign it?"

"Fine," he said with a sigh, accepting the book. Grabbing a pen, he flipped it open to the title page. "What do you want me to write?"

I cleared my throat. " _'To my dearest friend, Rose. Thanks for brightening my days with your presence.'_ And you can fill in the rest."

Dimitri cut me a look and I gave him another grin. Smiling reluctantly, he scribbled it down before handing over the book. "Don't ever do that to me again," he warned, though his tone was playful.

I read it and saw that he'd written ' _Yours truly'_. I knew this was a commonly used closing sentence, but it made me smile nonetheless. I also loved that he didn't only sign with his own name, but wrote _comrade_ right next to it in brackets.

I beamed at him. "Thanks, comrade!"

I left him alone to continue his work, without paying attention to it because I'd probably embarrassed him enough already for today. I went upstairs to shower and afterwards I'd start on dinner, but when I came back downstairs Dimitri was already cooking.

"I needed to get away from my laptop," he explained.

"Good idea." I walked over and hopped onto the countertop next to him, swinging my legs. "So what are you making? It smells good."

"Spaghetti," he answered. "It'll be ready in a few."

I grinned. "For a Russian guy, you make a lot of Italian food. Not that I'm complaining. I _love_ pasta."

He smiled. "I know. Why do you think I'm making it?"

"Aww, you're so sweet, comrade!" I was still grinning from ear to ear. "But are you sure you're not part Italian?"

He chuckled. "I'm sure."

Oscar came padding into the kitchen as well, sniffing the air. I hopped off the counter and walked over to pick him up before resuming my spot next to Dimitri.

"I think he wants some meatballs, too," I said, scratching the cat behind its ears.

He started purring immediately. I didn't think we were going to be great friends at first, but Oscar was actually a friendly cat.

"Guess who I talked to this morning." Dimitri glanced up at me, giving me an expectant look so I continued, "Victor."

He arched an eyebrow, surprised. "Really?"

I nodded. "I thought I should finally introduce myself. Maybe he'll stop staring now – and keep his questions to himself."

Dimitri scoffed. "The day he stops asking questions is the day I start to worry about his health."

"He asked me about you and Tasha."

He rolled his eyes. "Now that's a surprise. What'd you tell him?"

"That he should ask you," I answered as I stroked Oscar's back. "But I think you're right. He's just lonely. I'm sure that if he had a wife and maybe a family of his own he wouldn't be so interested in other people's lives. I feel a little bit sorry for him."

Dimitri was smiling again, but this time it was a different kind of smile. A smile that made my heart pound in my chest and my cheeks flush.

"W-what?" I asked as he stared at me with something in his eyes that I couldn't place.

He shook his head once. With a soft voice, he murmured, "You have a kind heart, Rose."

I said nothing, simply because I didn't know what to say. And maybe because I wasn't sure it was true. I liked that Dimitri thought I was a good person, but was I really? If I was good and kind, I'd be more like Lissa. If I was good, I wouldn't have picked fights with Stan and then maybe nothing would've happened… Maybe I'd still be at home, with my sister.

I'd done a pretty good job at forgetting about last night's dream. Working at the diner and hanging out with Christian had taken my mind off of it, but now I was reminded again of that night. I didn't want Dimitri to notice something might be wrong so I acted overly excited when dinner was served.

After dinner, Dimitri returned to his drawings so I watched _Friends_ again with Oscar and Donatello. Surprisingly, those two got along great. Hours later, Dimitri was still caught up with his project. I was bored of watching TV so I told him I was going to bed, hoping he'd do the same. He kind of looked exhausted, which I would be too if I had to sit behind a laptop all day. I could understand why he preferred sketching on paper. I didn't want to be a whiny roommate who told him what he should or shouldn't do, though, so I left it alone.

Even though I was really tired, I couldn't fall asleep. I tossed and turned for two hours straight until I finally gave up and figured I might as well go downstairs and sit with Oscar and Don. I knew why I was still awake; it was because thoughts of Stan consumed me. I thought I'd done a pretty good job not thinking about what had happened – or what had _almost_ happened – that night until I had a nightmare about it.

Heaving a sigh, I shuffled through the dark hallway, not really paying attention to my surroundings, and bumped right into something. My head snapped up, startled, and I looked straight at Dimitri's face. He looked equally surprised to see me as he steadied me.

"Sorry," we said at the same time.

A small smile spread across my face, but I didn't think he saw because the lights were out. He let go of my arm and took a step back. That's when I noticed he was only wearing his PJ bottoms. I'd seen Dimitri shirtless a few times before, and usually I took the opportunity to admire the view because, let's be honest, he had some nice abs, but right now I was too distracted with my so-called problems.

"Can't sleep?" he asked softly.

"No. You?"

"Me neither," he answered.

"It sucks, doesn't it?" I said, giving him a wry smile. "Anyway, I thought I was going to sit downstairs for a while."

He nodded and I started to pass him, but then he suddenly said, "I'm watching a movie in my room. You want to watch it with me?" I looked up at him and he gave me a sheepish look. "But it's a Western."

"Figures." This time my smile was genuine. "It's okay. It beats sitting alone in the dark."

I followed him back down the hallway and into his room. I'd never been in here before so I didn't know what to expect. The first thing I noticed was how tidy everything was. There were no dirty clothes lying around, not even a single sock. Weren't guys supposed to be messy?

Dimitri had a huge bookcase in his room, taking up the whole length of the wall opposite his bed. I wanted to start counting his books, but that might take a while so I refrained myself. While I was looking around his room, Dimitri had pulled on a shirt. I moved towards the bed, where his laptop was sitting.

"Can I…?" I asked cautiously, pointing at the bed.

"Sure," he said with a nod.

I made myself comfortable on the bed and looked at the laptop screen. Dimitri had only seen the first fifteen minutes so it wouldn't be too hard to follow. "So why can't you sleep?"

"I guess I worked too long," he answered, making a face.

I arched an eyebrow. "And now you're watching a movie on your laptop? That's not going to make it better."

He grinned as he dimmed the lights and sat down next to me on the bed, balancing the laptop on his lap. "I know, but I don't want to toss around all night so I might as well do something until I actually feel like sleeping."

I had to move closer to him so we could both see the screen properly. I was very aware of the fact that my thigh was touching his and that I was practically leaning into him to watch the movie, yet it seemed like that wasn't enough for me because I rested my head against his shoulder as well. Only a moment later, I felt his gaze on me.

"You know," he said quietly, "we could talk about why you can't sleep if you wanted to."

I lifted my head to look at him, confused. "What?"

"I know there's something that's been bothering you," he said. He gave me a small smile. "You're trying to hide it, but it's not really working. So if you want to talk about it, you can. I'm a good listener, I promise."

 _Damn._ How did he keep noticing these things? I'd been trying so hard to hide it…

"I know."

"But if you want me to shut up and watch the movie, that's fine too," he added quickly. He paused for a moment, looking back at the screen as well, then shifted his eyes back to mine. "I just want you to know that it's okay to tell me things."

"Well, you're right that there's something bothering me," I admitted, feeling slightly nervous. "But…" I glanced away, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "I'm afraid that if I tell you, you'll think different of me."

"Why would I?" he said, perplexed.

"Because…" I shrugged, not sure what to say. I trusted Dimitri and in the short time we'd known each other he'd become a good friend. And maybe something…something that I couldn't put my finger on yet. Suppressing a sigh, I muttered, "I don't know. It's embarrassing."

"You can tell me anything, Rose," he murmured in a soft, soothing voice. "I won't judge." He paused again, his gaze still on me. "Does it have something to do with what I said about your mom? That you should call her? I'm sorry if I pushed it. You don't have to call her if you don't want to. I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's not that," I told him with a shake of my head. "I mean…I don't want to call her, but I know I have to. But I don't want to call her for different reasons than you're probably thinking of right now…" Dimitri looked a little confused now. I groaned, burying my head in my hands. "I'm sorry," I sighed, peeking up at him. "I'm being really vague, aren't I?"

The corners of his lips pulled up into a smile. "Only a little."

I sat up straighter, my thigh no longer touching his. "It's not really about my mom. It's about her boyfriend. Stan."

Dimitri nodded. He paused the movie and focused all his attention on me. I wasn't sure if I wanted that because I might get red-faced when I told him the truth or, worst-case scenario, I might cry.

"You told me he provided your mom with pills and that he's aggressive, but you never…" He hesitated for a moment, then proceeded, "You never really expanded on that."

I pulled up my knees and wrapped my arms around them. "Well, mostly, he's verbally aggressive, but…sometimes he'd throw stuff around and break it, sometimes he'd grab my wrist, but nothing major… But there was this one night…" I cleared my throat. "There was this one night when things got out of hand."

I wasn't sure how to explain this because I'd never had before. Lissa had been out with her own friends when Stan had walked into my room. When she came back, I'd told her about what happened because I had to tell _someone_ and who better to talk to than my sister? But I hadn't told her _exactly_ everything. She was still very young and I wanted to protect her from the ugly truth. So in the end, I only told her that Stan had made a pass at me and that when I'd said no he'd become violent. That was all she knew.

Mason knew even less. He knew _nothing_ about that night. He only knew that I hated Stan's guts because he was an asshole and that one day I couldn't take it anymore and left. I didn't know why I'd rather talk to Dimitri than to Mason. Mason was my boyfriend; if anyone had a right to know it was him, I guess. But for some reason I couldn't tell him. For some reason, I thought Dimitri would be able to comfort me better than my own boyfriend. Because I realized now that was what I really needed at this moment: comfort. Comfort from someone who'd be understanding and tell me that it was going to be okay.

Someone like Dimitri.

Dimitri was still patiently waiting for me to speak so finally I blurted out, "Stan assaulted me." I bit down on my lower lip. "Sexually." Dimitri's eyes widened in shock and I quickly added, "But nothing really happened. I mean…something happened, but it's not as bad as it sounds."

I realized I was rambling now and not making any sense, but Dimitri didn't interrupt me. He just waited until I was ready to explain. I blew out a breath and started slowly, still not sure where to begin.

"I was going out with friends…and I'd just gotten out of the shower and… I was deciding which dress to wear because back then that seemed so important," I muttered, rolling my eyes at myself. "Anyway, I was in my room and I was only wearing my underwear…" I felt really nervous now, but I tried to ignore it and pushed through. "And Stan suddenly barged into my room. I didn't even know that he was home. I would've locked my door if I'd known," I added hastily. "But I didn't and he was there all of a sudden and… and…"

I was blabbering again; my cheeks a flaming a red just like I'd predicted. Anxiously, I tucked loose strands of hair behind my ear. Dimitri suddenly reached out, wrapping his hand around my wrist and carefully tugging it from my face. He placed it on the mattress, but didn't let go.

"It's okay," he said, his gentle voice reassuring me. "You don't have to tell me if it's too difficult for you."

Smiling, I shook my head. I didn't think I knew anyone so considerate as Dimitri. He really was an amazing person. "It's okay. I want to tell you…because I really do trust you, Dimitri. And maybe that's nuts because we haven't known each other for that long, but then again, you must trust me as well, right? Otherwise you wouldn't have taken me in."

"Yes, I do trust you, Rose," he murmured, not breaking eye-contact once.

There was something about the way he said those words and the way he was looking at me that made me blush. I glanced down at his hand still wrapped around mine.

"So…" I cleared my throat again and made another attempt at telling him. "Stan and I never got along. If I wasn't mad at him, he was mad at me. For various reasons. Sometimes stupid reasons," I muttered darkly. "He liked to get under my skin, you know? And he knew how to do that..."

Dimitri nodded, encouraging me to go on.

"He'd made a few remarks in the past," I explained, "like… I turned him on when I was being stubborn, that he liked girls with curves like me…" I shook my head, sighing. "I just thought he said those kind of things because he wanted to make me angry. I never thought he actually meant it."

Dimitri was frowning and his lips were set in a grim line, but still he didn't interrupt me. I was glad he wasn't asking any questions. It'd make it only harder for me to finish my story.

"Anyway, I couldn't get him to leave my room," I continued, my voice suddenly a lot more quiet. I couldn't quite look Dimitri in the eye anymore either. "I was screaming and yelling at him, but he wouldn't go. I tried to defend myself, but he was too strong and he pushed me onto the bed and he started groping me." I felt my throat tighten as tears welled in my eyes. One managed to escape and rolled down my cheek. "I really tried, Dimitri," I whispered, "but I couldn't get him off of me."

Dimitri looked tense; his jaw was clenched and his fingers tightened around my hand. When he noticed, he loosened his hold immediately, but still didn't let go of my hand.

"Did he…?" His voice caught in his throat.

Quickly, I shook my head. "My mom came in before he could do more and sent him away. He just touched me, that was all."

"It's still sexual assault," Dimitri said, scowling. I'd seen him frustrated before – usually when it involved Tasha – but never angry. Though his voice was quiet, it was clear from the look on his face that he was furious. "He shouldn't have touched you."

I looked down at my knees so he wouldn't see the silent tears rolling down my cheeks. I wasn't sure why I was crying. Nothing really happened; I got away. Barely. But I got away all the same. I was one of the lucky ones.

"The next morning Stan was having breakfast at our table again," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper. "My mom had taken him back." Furiously, I wiped at my eyes. "It didn't even take twenty-four hours for her to forgive him."

The anger on Dimitri's face was replaced by a look of sympathy. "Oh, Rose…"

"So that's when I decided to leave," I finished. I sighed deeply before looking at him again. "And now you know everything."

My bottom lip was quivering and I thought I might actually start to sob when Dimitri wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to his chest. I let him hug me and buried my face in his chest, taking a deep breath to try and calm myself down.

"I'm so sorry, Roza," he murmured, tightening his arms around me. "I wish there was something I could do to help you."

"You're already helping me," I said in a muffled voice as he stroked my hair. "Just by being here."

"Do you want me to beat him up?"

I stiffened, startled by his question. I pulled away and looked at him with raised eyebrows, but he wasn't joking around. He looked dead serious.

"I will," he said firmly, his eyes never leaving mine. "If that's what you want. He deserves it after-"

I shook my head. "No, I wouldn't want you to get in trouble, Dimitri. He's not worth it."

Dimitri scowled again. "But he hurt you."

"He can't hurt me anymore," I told him. I shook my head again and heaved another sigh. "I'm exaggerating. I thought that if I called my mom that Stan might find out, but even if he does…" I gave him a small, hesitant smile. "I don't have to be scared because I've got you now."

"Yes, you do," he said, his voice sincere. "I'm here for you, Roza. Always." He returned my smile, tucking another loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Okay?"

My smile widened a little. _Did he just say my name in Russian?_ I didn't know why, but I liked the sound of it very much. Probably because it came from his lips. "Thanks, comrade."

"And you're not exaggerating," Dimitri told me. I looked down and he tilted my face back up so I would meet his gaze, and when I did, my heart skipped a beat. "You're not," he whispered.

"I just feel so awful for leaving Lissa there," I admitted after a few moments, my voice soft. "I know he isn't interested in her in the slightest. The only thing he's ever done is yell at her if she doesn't do what he says right away, but she wouldn't dare to ignore his commands," I scoffed. "She's too sweet for that. And my mom…" I suppressed a sigh. "My mom is a lot more protective of Liss than me."

Dimitri gave me a confused look so I elaborated, "Mom doesn't want to get in trouble with the authorities. Lissa is adopted after all… If she got treated bad…" I shrugged. "But a part of me wants to believe she's also doing it for Dad…cause he promised Lissa's parents he'd take care of her if something happened to them." Dimitri frowned. I knew what he was going to say so I said quickly, "It's okay. Lissa needs her protection more than I do."

"Maybe," Dimitri said slowly, "but you're her daughter. She shouldn't have taken him back. I mean, she _saw_ what was happening," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

I shrugged, averting my gaze again. From everything that had happened with Stan, that was the part that hurt the most. That my mom had taken him back, as if nothing had happened. Maybe that was the real reason I'd felt like crying when I told him.

Dimitri noticed I was having trouble again and he pulled me back into his arms, holding me tight as he gently stroked my hair. It was comforting and just what I needed, though I wasn't going to admit that. I didn't want to sound weak.

"I'll call my mom soon," I whispered. "I promise."

Dimitri pulled away slightly to look at me. "No, forget what I said about your mom. You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," I cut him off. "You were right. And… I need to face her sometime. Why not now?"

"What about Stan?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I'll worry about him later, I guess. Maybe Mom won't tell him anything."

Dimitri looked unconvinced, but nodded eventually. He wiped a tear from my cheek and murmured, "If there's a problem…just know that you can count on me, Roza."

"Thank you, Dimitri," I said again, relieved that he hadn't changed his mind about me. Relieved that he wasn't judging me. I smiled, but it was faint. "Can we finish watching the movie now? I could use a little bit of distraction."

"Of course," he said.

He'd pushed his laptop away to hug me. Leaning forward, he reached for it and placed it back on his lap. He glanced at me, hesitating, but I gave him a nod.

"I'm fine," I reassured him. It wasn't exactly the truth, but I did feel a lot better than I had before I'd bumped into him in the hallway. "Just hit play."

We watched the rest of the movie in silence. From time to time I noticed Dimitri glance over at me with worry. He must've felt somehow that I wasn't so fine because halfway through the movie he put his arm around me and pulled me close. He didn't say anything, which I appreciated, and I leaned my head against his shoulder, glad that I wasn't alone tonight.

* * *

 _Another heavy chapter! But it's a good thing Rose confided in Dimitri. What did you think of his reaction? They are certainly growing closer and closer, huh? :D Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	12. Chapter 12

_Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! As you can see, I'm updating early because I have a family thing tomorrow! I'm not sure if I'll be able to update next weekend because then I have another family feast, but I'll do my best! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 **DPOV**

Rose had fallen asleep before the movie was over. Her head was no longer leaning against my shoulder, but was now resting against the pillow. She looked peaceful. I was reluctant to wake her up now that she'd finally managed to doze off.

Shutting my laptop, I placed it quietly on the bedside table. I wasn't sure what to do next. Should I go downstairs and sleep on the couch? Maybe that was the better option – the _right_ thing to do – but I didn't want to leave her alone right now. I guess that if I made sure to stay on my side of the bed it would be okay. I wasn't exactly doing anything wrong by that, was I?

I flicked off the remaining light and pulled the comforter over Rose so she wouldn't get cold. Then I sat at the edge of the bed and looked at her sleeping form, wondering if I was crossing a line if I slept in the same bed as her. Maybe I'd already crossed the line when I'd invited her to watch a movie with me in my room. _You're just being her friend. There's nothing wrong with that,_ a voice inside my head whispered.

But a friend wouldn't be thinking about how beautiful she looked when she was asleep. A friend wouldn't be secretly looking at her in awe when _she_ wasn't looking, a friend wouldn't feel this weird fluttering feeling in the pit of his stomach when she touched him.

I rolled my eyes at myself; I was being ridiculous. Suppressing a sigh, I looked away from her and lay down on the other side of the bed, making sure there was enough space between us. I rolled away, facing the wall, and closed my eyes, but found I still couldn't fall asleep even though I was exhausted. So I rolled back and stared at Rose again. She was frowning a little, and even then, she still was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

I hoped she wasn't having any nightmares about that asshole, Stan. Just thinking about the things he'd done to her and might've done if her mom hadn't showed up made me feel the anger bubble up inside of me again. And thanks to my initial anger, I'd suggested to beat the guy up, which I probably shouldn't have said. I didn't want Rose to think I was that kind of person, but the thought of her being hurt was just so maddening. I wished there was _something_ I could do to help her. She'd said I had by being there for her, but it didn't feel like it was enough.

Even though my head was filled with worries about Rose, I dropped off eventually and when I opened my eyes again she was gone. I blinked a couple of times, taking in my surroundings, and looked at the alarm clock. It was still early morning.

With a heavy sigh, I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I pulled on some fresh clothes and went downstairs, hoping Rose was still here. I knew she was going to see her sister today – and her boyfriend, I guess. But when I got to the kitchen, there was no one there except Oscar. There was a note on the countertop, however, and I picked it up to read.

 _Thank you for last night. I'll be home before dinner. Have a good day, comrade._

A small smile spread across my face. I was relieved she seemed to be doing alright. I wouldn't know for sure until she got home, though. Seeing as I was all alone and didn't have to be in the bookshop today, I figured I might as well try to finish my project.

Quickly, I came to the realization that was not going to happen because my mind kept going back to the things Rose had told me last night. I could hardly concentrate on the task at hand. After a while, I just started doodling while my mind wandered off to Rose again. _Roza, Roza, Roza…_ She was all I thought about lately. I didn't mean for it to happen, but sometimes I daydreamed about her when I should be working. This attraction thing was getting out of hand, I realized. I was skating on thin ice now. I'd even called her _Roza_ last night; it had just slipped out of my mouth. Se hadn't seemed to mind, though. She'd even smiled that gorgeous smile of hers.

Just thinking about her smile made my heart pick up speed again, pounding in my chest like a hammer. I didn't know why that kept happening to me. Well, maybe I did know, but I didn't want to admit it yet. But it was happening more frequently now and that was troubling.

Blinking, I stared down at the piece of paper in front of me. When had I stopped doodling mindlessly and started drawing an actual face? A face that looked exactly like Rose's, framed with wavy long hair, complete with her plump lips and doe eyes.

"Jesus," I muttered, shaking my head.

What was happening to me? Why couldn't I get her out of my head? Letting out a frustrated sigh, I pushed my chair back and got up before striding out of the living room. I needed a shower – a cold one. Maybe that would help clear my mind.

I didn't feel much better afterwards, but at least I was cooled off. I was just getting dressed when the doorbell rang. Whoever it was, they kept ringing it incessantly so after pulling on my jeans I jogged downstairs, not bothering to put on a shirt.

"I'm coming," I called when the shrill ringing continued.

Cursing quietly, I unlocked the front door and threw it open. I wished I hadn't because Tasha stood in front of me, wearing the biggest smile ever on her face, even showing her teeth. Her black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and I noticed immediately her skin was tanned. She looked relaxed and happy, which was strange for Tasha. Maybe her little vacation at the lake house had done her some good, but she'd come home way too early. The summer wasn't over yet so what was she doing here?

"What-"

"Dimka!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around me and kissing me soundly. I put my hands on her arms, pushing her off of me. "I've missed you!"

"Tasha," I said, not nearly as enthusiastic as her. "You're back."

She grinned from ear to ear. "Yes, I am. Have you missed me?"

I wanted to say no, but that might be rude. Honestly, I hadn't thought about her since the moment she'd left. I guess I was too busy thinking about Rose nowadays. Before I could form a response, however, Tasha pushed past me inside and walked into the living room.

"Is Rose here?" she asked.

I frowned, moving around the couch so there'd be a little more space between us. "No."

"Good." She sighed and then walked over to me. I stepped back, but she immediately closed the distance between us again. "It wouldn't be proper walking around shirtless with her around, hmm? But it's definitely a nice view for me."

I almost shook my head at myself. _I should've put on a damn shirt._ "Uh, Tasha," I started carefully. "What's going on? I thought we were on a break. I thought you'd be gone until the end of summer."

Tasha started to wrap her arms around my neck. "I know, but I believe I've given you enough time to figure things out."

I tugged her hands away. "Yes, I actually have figured things out."

Tasha's smile widened and I dreaded the next moment. She probably thought I'd be giving her good news, but it was just the opposite. For _her_ , of course. For me, breaking up was good news.

"Enough talk," she said suddenly as she grabbed my face with both hands and crushed her lips against mine, pushing me down onto the couch. I was completely caught off guard, which was why I was so slow to react and push her away once more.

"Oh my God!"

Both Tasha and I were startled by the new voice in the room. Blinking, I pushed Tasha from my lap and she nearly toppled onto the floor as I scrambled to my feet and glanced over at Rose, who stood in the doorway. She was staring at us, mouth agape.

"I'm sorry," she said, her cheeks flushing red. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, no," I said quickly. "You're not-"

Rose glared at me. "I'll just leave you to it."

Ignoring my protests, she darted out of the room as if she couldn't get away from me fast enough. I was momentarily frozen, still picturing her glare. Why did she glare at me? Was she mad? Without so much as giving Tasha a second glance, I ran after Rose. She was almost at her bedroom door when I stopped her.

"Rose," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around swiftly, crossing her arms and giving me a defiant look. "What?"

I was speechless for a moment. "I… I didn't know you were coming home so soon," I said at last. I almost cringed at my own words. That obviously hadn't been the right thing to say because she was glaring at me again.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said sarcastically. She no longer looked embarrassed. "I'll make sure to stay out longer next time so you can finish without getting interrupted."

"It's not what you think," I said awkwardly.

She arched an eyebrow at me as she looked me over. I shut my eyes and suppressed a sigh, wishing I hadn't been so careless and put on that damn shirt before opening the front door.

"Please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't lie. At least lock the door next time or give me some warning so I don't have to walk in on you when you're about to have sex with Tasha." She paused, scowling at me. "With Tasha, for God's sake! I thought you were going to break up with her."

"I was – I mean, I _am_ ," I stammered. "I am going to break up with her. She just caught me by surprise."

Rose scoffed again. Clearly she did not believe a word I was saying.

"I was just getting out of the shower when she rang the bell," I explained. "I didn't even know she was coming." I took a small step forward, trying to hold her gaze to show her that I was being sincere. "Really, Roza, it's not what you think." When she said nothing, I started to plead. I didn't know why it was important that she knew there was nothing going on between Tasha and me. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry you saw that. I didn't mean to upset you. But it's not-"

"Alright, that's enough," Rose cut me off fiercely. "You didn't upset me, okay? Just because you saw me cry last night doesn't mean I'm some fragile little doll you need to protect all the time."

I looked at her, confused. "Roza, I don't think you're-"

"No," she said firmly, shaking her head. "I'm not finished yet. It's not because I was assaulted that I can't handle other people having sex, alright? I can handle it, trust me. You just go ahead and have sex with Tasha for all I care!" She was glaring at me again. She was so furious she was actually struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "Just… Just make sure to lock the door next time – or move it to the bedroom where I don't have to see you two!"

I stared at her in shock, unable to form a reply. With a huff, she spun on her heels and slammed the door shut in my face. Even though I had no idea what I was going to say, I reached for the doorknob, but then I heard her lock the door. _Did she just really lock herself into her bedroom so she wouldn't have to face me?_

"Rose," I said through the door, my voice pleading again. "Roza, please open the door."

There was no response, of course. I knocked a couple of times, desperate to explain myself. Rose had never been angry at me before, let alone fought with me, so I didn't really know what to do right now to make this right.

Realizing she wasn't going to come out, I sighed and said loudly through the door, "Just so you know, I don't think you're some fragile little doll. And I know you don't need my protection." I leaned my head against the door. "I just wanted to…" I paused, not sure what I even wanted to say. Eventually, I settled for another apology and then I left her alone.

On my way downstairs, I stopped at the bathroom and pulled on my shirt. I hoped Tasha would've left by now, but she was still in my living room. Her back was to me.

"Tasha," I started, exasperated.

Swiftly, she spun around. Her face was contorted with anger as she held a piece of paper in her hand, shaking it vehemently. "What the hell is this?"

I frowned, confused. "I don't-"

But then she held it in front of me and my eyes widened when I saw it was my sketch of Rose. "I thought you'd figured things out!"

"I have," I told her.

"Then why do I find drawings of Rose?" she exclaimed in outrage. I wanted to point out it was just the one drawing, but that might piss her off even more. "You never drew me before!"

I shrugged awkwardly. "Well…"

Tasha let out a frustrated cry as she crumpled the piece of paper. I winced, automatically wanting to reach for the paper so she wouldn't tear it into pieces, but maybe it'd be better if she did. I shouldn't have drawn Rose, even I knew that much.

"I can't believe this," Tasha growled. "I leave town to give you some space so you can think about what's really important in life and then I find _this_ on your desk?" She threw the crumpled piece of paper on the floor. When she looked back up at me, her eyes were ablaze with anger. "Are you in love with her?"

"No," I said quickly. Too quickly. "I was only doodling. It means nothing."

Tasha crossed her arms, scoffing. "Do you think I'm stupid, Dimitri?"

"No," I repeated, crossing my arms as well. She glared at me, but it didn't affect me at all. "Tasha, I think we should break up."

Her eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

"I've tried to tell you before you left town," I explained, "but you wouldn't even let me speak. I've been thinking about this for a long time now. I don't think we're going to work out. I'm sorry."

I probably should make it sound more like I was _actually_ sorry and look contrite, but I was done pretending. I just wanted to be done with her.

Tasha's jaw clenched. "So you _are_ in love with her."

"This has nothing to do with Rose." I made sure to look her in the eye when I said, "I was already doubting this relationship before Rose came along."

Tasha's nostrils flared. Scowling, she said, "You're lying!"

I shook my head. "I'm not." Realizing I was being a little bit harsh, I said in a gentler voice, "Look, I wish I felt the same way, but I don't. I can't be with someone I don't love."

"So you're going to be with Rose then?" she demanded.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. "Tasha, please. Don't be ridiculous."

"What?" she taunted. "It's not true then? You don't love her?"

I glanced away. Why was she doing this to me? " _Tasha_."

"When she got home and saw us, you ran after her immediately, completely forgetting I was even here!" she shouted angrily. "If anything, that drawing proves it!"

I scowled at her. "Lower your voice."

She gave me a defiant look. "Why? Are you afraid she's going to hear us?"

"No!" I lied.

I tried to look indifferent, but I was pretty sure she saw right through me because she was smirking at me. Usually, I was better at keeping a straight face, but I guess I was too upset right now to keep my features in check.

"Then what's the problem?"

I couldn't quite meet her gaze. "Just…don't."

"I knew it," Tasha sneered. "I knew it from the moment you took her in! I knew she was going to wrap you around her little finger and-"

"Stop it, Tasha!" I exclaimed, my head finally snapping up.

"She's a minor, Dimitri," Tasha said, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. She was really enjoying this. "So if you're thinking of dating _her_ – that silly little girl – just remember it's illegal."

I stared at her, feeling the anger bubble up inside of me. I didn't care if she insulted me, but I wasn't going to allow her to insult Rose. It was time for her the leave – before this fight escalated even more. It surprised me I'd even managed to stay calm until now.

"Get out," I growled, fixing her with a glare.

"Fine," Tasha spat, giving me one last withering look before storming out the door. "You're not worth my time anymore."

I was relieved when I heard the door slam shut. To make sure she was truly leaving, I watched through the window until she'd actually driven her car down the road and disappeared from view. And hopefully, from my life.

Picking up the crumpled piece of paper, I straightened it out and stared at my sketch. Tasha might be a bitch, but she was right about one thing. Maybe. Probably. I wasn't ready yet to admit it to myself. Heaving a sigh, I placed the drawing on my desk and left the house. Maybe a walk would help me clear my mind.

 **RPOV**

When I finally came back downstairs, Dimitri was nowhere to be found. A part of me was relieved that I didn't have to face him yet and apologize for my childish behavior, but another part of me – the bigger part – was sad because I was probably the reason why he wasn't here right now.

It could be Tasha, too, of course. After I'd locked myself into my bedroom like a petulant child, I'd heard them shouting at one another for a while. I hadn't exactly heard what it was about because I was too busy trying to ignore them, but my name definitely dropped somewhere during their yelling match. I was pretty sure Dimitri had broken up with her after all, which made me feel even worse for shouting at him.

Maybe I'd exaggerated a little bit. Maybe he did have an explanation, but even so, it shouldn't matter because, frankly, it was none of my damn business. I shouldn't have gotten angry at him. This was his house so I had no right to tell him what he could and couldn't do.

I didn't know why I'd gotten so upset at seeing them together in the first place. Maybe because Dimitri had me convinced that he was breaking up with Tasha. It shouldn't matter to me whether he broke up with her or not, but apparently it did matter. I realized I was being completely unreasonable, but I felt betrayed and…jealous. The latter was probably the reason why I got so mad when Dimitri tried to explain himself to me.

There was absolutely no way of denying that I was attracted to Dimitri, but I didn't know when it had become such an issue. An issue I couldn't ignore or pretend it didn't exist. Because I had a boyfriend and I wasn't being fair to him. Either I needed to get over this _thing_ I felt for Dimitri or break up with Mason. But could I do that? I'd be breaking my best friend's heart. And for what?

It's not like I was going to act on whatever it was that I felt for Dimitri. Because that'd be absurd. He was seven years older than me. Why would he want to be with a stupid little girl like me? A girl that threw tantrums when she didn't get her way. I wasn't mature enough for him. Even entertaining the thought of us together was ridiculous. It had to stop. Right now.

Suddenly, I caught sight of one of Dimitri's drawings on his desk. I inched a little bit closer. Usually, he never left his sketches in plain sight; he didn't like for anyone to see a work in progress. Apparently, that wasn't so uncommon among artists according to Alberta.

The paper was a little bit crumpled. Straightening it out, I gasped as I stared at my own face. _My_ face drawn on a piece of paper. It looked exactly like me; almost like a black and white photograph. I knew I was pretty, but _damn_ , did I look good on paper! _Or maybe he just drew you without your flaws, Rose…_

That might be closer to the truth, yeah.

I blinked, unable to tear my gaze from the sketch. Before I had time to process what this could mean, the door swung open and Dimitri stepped into the living room. Without thinking, I ran towards him and flung my arms around his neck, relieved he was home.

"I'm sorry," I murmured into his ear. I pulled away slightly to look at him, biting down on my lip. One of his arms was still around my waist. "I'm so sorry."

He gave a slight shake of his head. "No, I am sorry. I-"

"You don't have to apologize to me," I interrupted. "You didn't do anything wrong. I, on the other hand…" I gave him a mirthless smile. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was disrespectful." Dimitri was shaking his head again, but I continued anyway, "This is your house and…" I paused, not sure what I wanted to say anymore. "I'm sorry, okay? I guess you're right. I was upset." I could hardly tell him that I was upset because I was jealous so instead I said, "I just think that you deserve better than Tasha, that's all." It wasn't a lie – I did think that he deserved better than Tasha – but it wasn't the whole truth either. "I promise it won't happen again."

That's when I looked down and saw flowers in Dimitri's hand. They were daisies – and a whole bunch of them, too. Dimitri looked a little bit embarrassed when he handed them to me.

"I know you're not a flower kind of girl," he said, "but I didn't know what else I could do to make it up to you. I'm sorry. I just… I don't want us to fight, Roza."

I looked down at the flowers with a smile as a warm sensation spread in my chest. "Did you pick them yourself?"

He nodded, giving me a sheepish smile. "I broke up with Tasha – and it's for real this time. She isn't coming back."

I thought about the drawing again. Could it be that they'd fought over that? Could it be that Tasha had seen his drawing of me? Was that the reason she'd been yelling my name?

"And for what it's worth," Dimitri murmured, moving a little closer, "I really don't think you're some fragile little doll who needs my protection."

My smile grew a little wider. I couldn't meet his gaze, though, because I was still ashamed of slamming the door in his face earlier so I stared down at the flowers in my hands instead. "I heard."

"I mean it," he said, his voice so fierce it made me look up at him at last. "Roza, you're one of the strongest people I know."

I was pretty sure I was blushing furiously right now. Not wanting him to notice, I closed the distance and wrapped my arms around him, careful not to crush my flowers. Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips to his cheek. "Thank you for the flowers, comrade."

"You're welcome." His voice sounded a little muffled because his face was buried in my hair. "Are we good?"

I wasn't quite ready to pull away from him yet so I murmured against his shoulder, still smiling, "We're good."

* * *

 _They had their first fight! Man, what jealousy can do to a person! But the way they made up was kind of cute, don't you think? And yay! Dimitri finally broke up with Tasha. Was about damn time! :D_

 _Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Have a wonderful weekend! :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you all so much for the kind reviews, favorites and follows! I'm updating early because I'm going to be busy this weekend so I hope you enjoy this little surprise! :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 13**

 **RPOV**

I was nervous when I dialed my mom's number. As I waited for her to pick up the phone, I gnawed on my bottom lip and stared at the daisies Dimitri had picked for me. I'd found a vase stored away in one of the cabinets in the kitchen, but it was too big for the flowers so I'd used a glass instead to put them in. It didn't stand out that much, but it made the kitchen look brighter already. It also made me feel better, especially now that I was about to speak to my mother for the first time in weeks.

If only she'd pick up her damn phone.

I was about to give up, feeling a little bit relieved already, when she finally answered the call. Upon hearing her voice, I froze. She said hello several times, each time growing more annoyed. Finally, I stammered, "I-it's Rose."

There was a long pause, making me wonder if she'd hung up on me after all.

"Hi," she said eventually. Another pause. "I'm surprised you called me."

"Yeah," I said slowly, feeling awkward. I didn't know how to do this. "So am I. But I guess someone had to take the first step."

"Yes, well…" She cleared her throat. "What can I help you with?"

She sounded so formal, like I was a stranger to her and not her daughter. I didn't know what to think of that, but at least it was better than her being angry at me for disappearing without so much as a word. Nervous, I twirled a strand of hair around my finger.

"I was wondering if we could meet. Just the two of us. There's something we need to discuss."

Mom scoffed. "I think there's a lot to be discussed."

I pursed my lips, irritated by her comment. "So are you up for it?"

"I guess," she said hesitantly. "I'll have to check with Stan-"

"You can't tell him!" I interrupted quickly, my voice a little bit too loud. I shut my eyes, suppressing a sigh. "Please…don't tell him."

"Alright," Mom said with a heavy sigh to let me know how much grievance she was enduring right now. "I suppose you want to meet as soon as possible?"

Lissa had told me numerous times that Mom missed me, but she didn't seem so eager to see me after all. She sounded cool and distant.

"Yes."

"How about tomorrow?"

"That's great!" I exclaimed, astonished. Maybe she missed me _a little_.

"I've got to go now, but I'll text you the details."

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Mom."

I breathed a sigh of relief when she disconnected and buried my face in my hands. They were kind of sweaty because I'd been so nervous to talk to her. I didn't want to think about how I was going to feel tomorrow when I'd see her.

"How did it go?" I looked up and saw Dimitri hovering at the door, a cautious look in his eyes. "Did she agree?"

I gave him a small smile. "I'm meeting her tomorrow."

He smiled back. "That's good."

"I guess." I shrugged. "I'm kinda nervous," I admitted.

He walked into the kitchen and sat down in the chair next to me. "It's going to be okay, Rose. And my offer still stands."

"That's really sweet, Dimitri," I told him, "but I think I need to do this on my own. And I don't know how she'd react at seeing you. It's probably best to tell her first and then introduce you another time." I grinned at him. "Or never. I think I'd prefer that."

"Why? Are you ashamed of me?" he said.

I knew he was only teasing, but I answered anyway. "No, of course not. But my mom…she'll definitely make a scene or embarrass me somehow."

Dimitri reached out for my hand and squeezed it gently. "Alright. But if you need me, I'm only a call away."

I smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks, comrade."

I was glad things weren't strained after our fight yesterday. We made up pretty quickly, true, but I'd feared that things might change between us. But I worried for nothing – obviously.

Now the only thing left to figure out was why he'd drawn me on a piece of paper. It could mean nothing, of course. Maybe he didn't have inspiration for his project so he just started drawing people he knew or whatever. I was reading too much into it; it was only a drawing.

But this morning, when I'd wanted to take another look at it, it was gone. Dimitri had either thrown it away or put it away so I couldn't find it. Even though I was curious, I refused to rummage through Dimitri's desk because I respected his privacy. So it was gone and I shouldn't be thinking about it anymore. I should be focusing on what I was going to say to my mom tomorrow instead.

"You know," Dimitri said suddenly, snapping me from my reverie, "you can always invite your sister over if you want to. I mean, you don't always have to meet in the park. Why don't you invite her over for dinner sometime?" I looked up at him in surprise and he gave me a small smile. Hesitating for a brief moment, he added, a little bit awkward, "Or if you'd want to invite your boyfriend, that's okay too."

Inviting Mason to have dinner with me and Dimitri was a confrontation I wasn't ready for yet. I didn't think I'd be ready for that _ever_.

"Maybe it'd be nice to have Liss over sometime," I admitted. "Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me," Dimitri said. The doorbell rang and he started to get up, letting go of my hand. "Just tell me when so I can buy food for three. Or does she eat for two like you do?" he added with a wink.

I stuck out my tongue at him, grinning. With a shake of his head, he disappeared into the hallway. He didn't stay away for long. When he came back, he had Christian with him.

"You have a visitor," Dimitri told me.

My eyebrows rose in surprise when Christian waved his hand at me awkwardly. "Hey. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you're free today?" he said. "Maybe we can hang out…"

"Sure," I said, getting up and drinking the last of my orange juice. Maybe Christian's sarcasm could distract me from my upcoming conversation with my mom. "I'll be right out. Just give me five."

Red-faced, Christian hurried back outside. I bet it took a lot of him to come over and ring the bell and see if I wanted to hang out with him because that didn't fit his loner persona.

I glanced over at Dimitri. "Is that okay?"

He gave me a strange look. "Of course it's okay. You don't have to ask me permission to hang out with your friends."

"I know, but he's Tasha's nephew. I thought that maybe…" I trailed off, giving him an expectant look. "You know."

"It's fine," Dimitri reassured me with a wave of his hand. "It's not because I broke up with Tasha that you can't hang out with Christian anymore."

I grinned at him again. "Okay. Thanks, comrade." I skipped past him. "See you tonight!"

 **DPOV**

After dropping Rose off in Scranton, I wasn't sure what to do. I'd told her it would be no problem for me to stick around until she'd talked to her mom, but she was adamant on doing this alone and told me to go back home. I made her promise me she'd call me if something was wrong, though.

Still, I was reluctant to drive back home. What if Rose's mom had told Stan anyway? What if he showed up? I didn't want Rose to have to face him on her own. Just the thought of him made me tense up with anger, my grip on the steering wheel tightening until my knuckles turned white.

But I was going to have to trust that Rose would be alright. I knew she was capable of handling pretty much anything; she didn't need me. To put my mind at ease, she'd told me I could pick her up again when she was finished here. I was far from _at ease_ , however – as long as she wasn't safe with me back in the car I would worry.

Fortunately for me, there was a distraction waiting for me when I got back home – in the form of my youngest sister, Viktoria. I had no idea she was coming over so when she bounded off the stairs and almost knocked me over when she jumped into my arms, I was momentarily speechless.

"Dimka!" she exclaimed, her arms wrapped around me tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

I blinked a couple of times, still caught off guard. "Viktoria…hey." I set her down on the floor. "W-what are you doing here? Why didn't you call?"

She frowned at me. "Can't I surprise my big brother anymore?"

I smiled. "Of course. It's just so unexpected." Shaking my head, I said, "I would've picked you up at the airport if you'd told me."

Vika grinned at me. "Nah, then it wouldn't have been a surprise, would it? Besides, your birthday is in two days. You really thought I was going to miss that?!" She bumped my shoulder with her tiny fist. "I put the spare key back in place, by the way."

I glanced my sister over and noticed the tan immediately. "I see you're doing well in Santa Monica."

"Oh, it's so amazing there!" she gushed. "I've got the beach, the heat and it's not too far from Hollywood." She flashed me another grin. "I've got everything I need over there."

Grabbing my arm, she pulled me towards the kitchen and made me sit down at the table while she got two sodas out of the fridge. Almost businesslike, she sat down across from me and gave me an expectant look.

"Enough about me," she said, taking a long sip of her Cola. "What about you?"

I shrugged. "I'm doing fine."

"Hmm," she said, nodding. "Tell me more."

I stared at her, clueless. What else did I have to tell her?

Viktoria rolled her eyes at me, exasperated. "Alright, I'll drag it out of you then." She smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. I already dreaded her next question. "Who's living in my bedroom?"

I arched an eyebrow. " _Your_ bedroom?"

"Uh-huh. The one I sleep in when I visit," she said, unfazed. She crossed her arms on the table. "I wanted to unpack, but I walked into the room and…tada! It's already taken."

I knotted my fingers together, not sure how I was going to explain this. Before I could, she exclaimed, "And you painted it! You would never do this for me so I would like to know who's staying here." She grinned again. "She must be special." Then, suddenly, she frowned. "You're not letting your girlfriend – what's her name again, Natasha? – stay in that room. That's kinda-"

Now I rolled my eyes. "Jesus, Vika. _No_ , of course not. And I broke up with Tasha so…"

Her eyes widened in shock. "You did? Why?"

"Because I don't really like her," I told her honestly.

Viktoria gave me a look full of sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that, Dimka."

I shook my head. "Don't be. It's a relief, to be honest."

She nodded. "Then who's living in my room?" she demanded. "Who is this special girl?"

I cut her a look. I realized Mama must've told her something because she was way too focused on this, obviously fishing for information. I decided to make it a little more difficult on her. "Who says it's a _she_?"

"There's a woman's touch to the bedroom," Viktoria said knowingly. Then she gave the daisies a pointed look. "Pretty much every room, actually."

I smirked at her, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms. "I picked those, actually."

A slow smile spread across Viktoria's face. " _Ah_. So she's _really_ special," she said in a teasing voice.

I rolled my eyes, but said nothing.

"Come on, big brother," Viktoria said in a whiny voice, leaning forward. "Tell me about her already! All Mama said was that you took in a homeless girl."

"I knew it," I muttered, shaking my head. "I knew you knew! Why didn't you just say that you already knew who's living here?"

"Why didn't you just answer the question?" Viktoria returned, arching a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Why are you keeping her a secret? I'm your sister for God's sake!"

"I'm not keeping her a secret," I said, exasperated. "I was going to tell you."

"Oh? When?"

"Hey, I tried calling you several times, but you're never home," I told her.

Viktoria shrugged. "I'm here now, aren't I?" She grinned happily. "So tell me about Rose."

She looked pretty adamant and I realized there was no way of getting out of it. But what was the point anyway? Rose would be home soon and then they'd meet so I might as well tell my sister a little bit about her now. It was not my place to tell other people why Rose ran away from home, though, so I kind of skipped that part. When I finished, my sister was smiling at me like Cheshire cat. I gave her a dubious look, but her smile only widened – if that was even possible.

"What?" I said at last. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Mama was right," was all she said.

I frowned, confused. "Right about what?"

"Your face totally lights up when you talk about her," Viktoria giggled. "Mama said that, too, but I wouldn't believe her. Now I do."

I went rigid. "My face does not-"

Viktoria waved my explanation away. "Oh, please! If she can see _that_ through a laptop screen, you really must have the hots for Rose. And I'm seeing it now, too, so don't make any excuses."

I felt my cheeks redden and I realized that, no matter how hard I tried to explain, it wouldn't matter. My face already gave it away; there was no point in denying it anymore. Letting out a heavy sigh, I buried my face in my hands, feeling embarrassed.

"Is she the real reason you broke up with Tasha?" Viktoria asked in a serious tone.

I shook my head, still not looking at my sister. "No…not really. I already knew it wasn't going to work out with Tasha before I met Rose."

"Does Rose feel the same way about you?"

Finally, I looked up again. "She has a boyfriend."

Viktoria shrugged. "So? You had a girlfriend, too."

I scowled at her. "That's not the point. Did you forget the part where I told you she's seventeen? I took this girl in to give her a home, not to take advantage of her!"

"Yeah, maybe," Viktoria agreed, "but you couldn't know you were going to fall in love with her."

Maybe I could've known. I mean, I'd thought she was beautiful from the very first moment I saw her and my attraction to her had only grown over time, to the point where I was drawing her on paper because I couldn't get her out of my head. This had definitely become something more than just attraction, but _in love_? I'd never been in love before.

"I'm not," I started, shaking my head vehemently. "I'm not in love with-" I couldn't finish my sentence because, somewhere deep in my heart, I knew it was a lie. Viktoria knew it, too. "I'm not," I said firmly.

"Sure. I believe you." My sister's voice was dripping with sarcasm. I stared at her and she stared back. At last, she threw up her hands and sighed heavily. "I haven't even met this girl yet, but I can already see how much you're into her by the way you talk about her."

I was starting to doubt myself now. Did my face really light up when I talked about her? What if Rose had noticed something, too? Just the thought that Rose might know I liked her made my hands start to sweat and my heart hammer in my chest.

"Come on, Dimka," Viktoria laughed, clearly amused. "You just told me the way she slurps her spaghetti is adorable."

Did I really say that? _Oh God._

"I-it doesn't matter, okay?" I stammered. "We could never… She's a _minor_ , Viktoria. Besides, she has a boyfriend."

"Yeah, you said that already." Viktoria was unimpressed. "Look, I know it's a little bit tricky, with her being seventeen and all," she said with an awkward shrug, "but if she feels the same way about you… Are you willing to let this chance slip by?"

I looked at her grave face; she was no longer joking around. "I don't know…"

"You've never talked with so much enthusiasm about a girl before," Viktoria continued. "Usually you'd rather spend your time alone, but now you've told me about all this time you've spent with Rose and you look _so happy_ talking about that – so what if that means this girl is actually the one for you?"

"I don't even know if she has feelings for me," I mumbled after I'd let her words sink in. I felt like I was in over my head right now; I needed some time alone to think. If my sister hadn't confronted me, I would've probably kept on ignoring my feelings for Rose and I'd been perfectly fine with that. If I ignored them, they didn't exist, right?

But even though I'd been able to fool myself until now, I hadn't been able to fool my sister…and Tasha neither. Tasha had confronted me with the truth, too, but I'd denied everything because I simply hadn't wanted it to be true. But she and my sister were right.

I was in love with Rose.

But my feelings didn't matter. Only Rose mattered. She'd already been through so much – she didn't need this. After everything that had happened with Stan, she could use someone she could trust – and she trusted _me_. I shouldn't break that trust.

 _But what if she likes me back?_ I remembered the way she looked at me when I'd given her those flowers, the way she'd hugged me and kissed my cheek. The way she always smiled at me when she called me _comrade_.

But no. It could never happen. Even without the age gap, it was still troubling. She had a boyfriend and I really shouldn't be messing up their relationship. That would be selfish.

"Vika, I can't," I said with a firm shake of my head. "It's just not possible."

"Anything is possible, Dimka."

I eyed her wearily. I wished she hadn't confronted me with this; now I could no longer blissfully ignore my feelings for Rose.

Viktoria saw that I was no longer in the mood to talk about this. "Alright, we'll speak no more of it." She clapped her hands together, excited. "But If I may say one last thing about Rose…" She watched for a reaction, but I was too lost in thought to notice. "I can't wait to meet her in person! She sounds awesome so I think we're going to be good friends."

My head snapped up, giving her a warning look. "You won't say anything, right?"

Viktoria smiled mischievously. "My lips are sealed, brother."

I glared at her. "I mean it."

Finally, she sobered up. "I know."

I glanced down at my phone, checking if Rose had called. She hadn't. Maybe she was still talking to her mom. I guess that was good.

"So where am I going to be sleeping now?" Viktoria asked, changing the subject.

Hastily, I put my phone away. "Uh…" I hadn't expected any guests any time soon so I hadn't figured that one out yet. "I guess you can sleep in my room," I said at last.

Viktoria raised an eyebrow. "Where will you sleep?"

"On the couch," I answered. Before she could protest, I added, "It's fine. The couch is not that bad. Besides, it's only for a few days, right?"

"Right!" Viktoria finished her Cola and stood up. "Do you mind if I unpack first? Afterwards we can go and eat lunch? I haven't eaten anything today."

I frowned. "You shouldn't skip meals, Vika."

She let out a long sigh. "I know."

"If they don't like the way your body looks, you should quit modeling," I told her sternly. "You don't need to starve yourself."

Viktoria rolled her eyes at me. "You're exaggerating, Dimka. Come on, let's go to Mikhail's diner. I want a burger and fries." She gave me a pointed look. "Is that good enough for you?"

"Yeah, fine," I agreed. "But I don't know if I can stay long. I need to pick up Rose soon."

But Rose never called. I was out with Viktoria for about two hours and Rose still hadn't called. I was starting to worry that something had gone wrong. Maybe Stan had shown up. Maybe she'd had a fight with her Mom. Maybe I was worrying for nothing. Maybe things were going so well with her mom that Rose had decided to stay a little longer. I didn't know if I should call her or leave her be. Viktoria told me to leave her alone.

"She'll call, Dimka. Stop being so overprotective all the time."

Of course Viktoria only knew Rose was visiting family; she didn't know anything else so she couldn't know that Rose might be in trouble. I could hardly tell her my reasons for being so anxious so I just nodded.

"Yes, I guess I'll wait a little longer," I mumbled, reluctantly putting my phone away again. I must've checked it ten times in an hour. I really was being ridiculous.

"Let's go back," Viktoria said, yawning. "I need to nap. The flight really fucked me up."

I arched an eyebrow at her language, but she waved me off with a grin. She tugged at my arm, pulling me right across the street. She didn't say much after that, which was just as well, because I was thinking about Rose again.

When my sister wasn't looking, I pulled out my phone again and texted Rose if she was doing alright, praying I'd hear from her soon.

* * *

 _So... Viktoria's in town! How do you like her? And Dimitri finally admitted to himself he's in love with Rose (thanks to his sweet sister, though :P)! Next chapter will be focused on the conversation between Rose and Janine, and some Romitri fluff! :D_

 _Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Have a good weekend! :)_


	14. an: important

_Hello everyone!_

 _You're probably wondering why I haven't updated this weekend. I really feel bad about that so I thought it was only fair to explain to you why I haven't._

 _I've been struggling with insomnia for years. I've done tons of things to help me get some sleep, but so far nothing is really working. Sometimes something does work but only for a little while. The past 6 months I've had more sleepless nights than I can count and about a month ago it finally started to get a little bit better - just a little bit. But as always, it gets worse again._

 _It's worse again now. It's so bad that I can't even sit behind my computer and write a little bit (this is taking a lot of effort, too). The lack of sleep is taking its toll on my body and my mind. I've got lots of inspiration for this story, but I just can't get it down on paper right now, for which I'm very sorry because that means you don't get an update._

 _I don't know how long this is going to last. I don't know when it'll get better again. I'm hoping I can finish the current chapter and update next weekend, but I can't make any promises because I feel very weak right now. It might be the weekend after that, or the weekend after that. Just know that_ _ **I will finish this story**_ _._

 _Alright, that's all. I hope you're all doing well!_

 _Lots of love!  
\- RozaBelikova-x_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Important a/n:  
** Thank you all so very much for the support! I'm doing slightly better, though I've found no permanent solution yet. But I'll get there, I hope. I'm sorry for the long wait. It took a little bit longer than expected and even now I'm not sure I'll be able to update every week, but I'll do my very best. To make up for lost time, I've written an extra long chapter. Not sure if it's any good, I'm a little bit out of practice, but I hope you'll like it! Thanks again! xoxo_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 14**

 **RPOV**

After Dimitri had dropped me off, I felt a little bit more anxious than I had before. I wished he could've stayed around, but I didn't want my mom to meet him…yet. I needed to break the news carefully first. If I introduced him now, I feared she wouldn't take it well.

We'd agreed to meet in a small café near the park. She wasn't there yet when I entered, which I could've expected, so I slid into the booth next to the window and looked outside, wringing my hands together. They were kind of sweaty because I was so nervous.

After twenty minutes had passed, I started to wonder if she was going to show up at all. Ten more minutes ticked by and I was just about to give up when the door finally opened and my mom walked into the café, looking around. When she spotted me, she approached me briskly. I felt like throwing up, but I forced a smile onto my face as she sat down across from me, folding her arms on the table.

"Rose," she said, her voice a little crisp. "You look well. I'm glad to see you're doing alright."

It didn't really sound like she was glad, though. "Yeah, you too," I muttered.

She did look well. I'd expected her to be groggy, with bags under her eyes and her short red hair in disarray. But, much to my astonishment, she looked…lively. Clearly, Lissa was right when she'd said Mom was trying to get better. But what did Stan think of that?

An awkward silence fell. Thankfully, the waitress came by to take our order. I ordered another Cola – I'd already had one before Mom arrived because I'd needed something to distract myself. When the waitress came back, I gulped down most of the Cola right away because I didn't know what to say to my mother. But by the looks of it, I wasn't the only one who thought this was awkward and that made me feel slightly better.

"So," Mom said, clearing her throat as she knotted her fingers together, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

I sipped my Cola again, trying to figure out how I was going to explain myself. I'd tried to prepare myself for this conversation yesterday, but it seemed like I'd forgotten everything I wanted to say.

"Well…" I started hesitantly. "I thought you might be wondering where I'm living right now."

"The thought has crossed my mind, yes," Mom said dryly.

I did my best to hide my annoyance. "But mostly I just wanted to let you know that I'm alright and that you shouldn't worry about me." As if she would. "I'm safe."

"I figured," Mom said. "I mean, Lissa wasn't as subtle as she thought she was when she packed a bag for you. I know you've met up with her. But I'm glad you found a safe place." Her face softened a little and I almost – _almost_ – thought that we could have a civilized, maybe even a friendly conversation. But then she said, "Of course it would've been better if you hadn't run away in the first place. That was foolish of you."

My jaw clenched as I glared down at my now empty glass. "I believe it was common sense. After someone tries to rape you, you get the fuck out before he gets another chance. Which you were willing to give him when you took him back. Thanks for that, by the way. "

"Rose," Mom started, almost cautious.

I gave her a sharp look. "Did you honestly expect me to stay after what happened? After you took that dirtbag back?!"

For the very first time in her life probably, my mom looked actually a little bit ashamed. She couldn't quite look me in the eye so instead she glanced around the café as she clutched her drink in her hands.

"But I'm not here to discuss that," I said stiffly, trying to keep things civilized. I didn't want to talk about Stan. "It happened so…there's nothing we can do about that."

"But Rose, now that I'm here, we should talk about it," Mom protested.

"Why?" I demanded. "When I wanted to talk about it, you didn't want to. Now it's too late."

"Don't be so childish," Mom reprimanded me, giving me a stern look. "Stan is sorry about what happened. He explained me everything in the morning and…he was hammered. He would've never…"

I stared at her, incredulous. If there had been anyone drunk that night, it was my mom. Not Stan. Stan was never drunk. He was calculating and knew perfectly well what he was doing that night. Slamming my glass down on the table, I snapped, "Sorry? He's _sorry_? Do you really believe the crap that comes out of his mouth? There's nothing – _nothing_ he could have said that would be good enough to explain his behavior that night. There's no excuse for assault!"

"Rose," Mom said in a hushed voice, leaning forward. "Keep your voice down."

"Why?" Instead of lowering my voice, I only spoke louder. "Are you afraid people are going to hear that your boyfriend is a-"

"If you don't lower your voice, I'm going to walk out," Mom cut me off, glaring.

As a matter of fact, people were watching us. I didn't want my mom to leave before we'd discussed my new living arrangements, though, so I took a deep breath and calmed down.

"I'll keep my voice down if you try to remember I'm your _daughter_ ," I muttered. "Dad would be so disappointed in you if he knew what was happening."

"Is that why you stole his car?"

I scoffed. "He would have gladly given it to me to get away from Stan." I shook my head at her, sighing. "Look, obviously I can't make you break up with that piece of crap, but will you at least keep him away from Lissa? She doesn't deserve to be yelled at all the time."

"Lissa is fine," Mom said curtly. "You don't have to worry about her."

"Someone has to."

Mom cut me a look. "I'm capable of keeping her safe. She won't be harmed."

"Good." I crossed my arms. "At least you're able to take care of one of us."

"I didn't kick you out, Rose. _You_ decided to leave."

I stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then threw up my hands in exasperation. "Okay, fine, I'm not going to repeat myself. There's no use. Let's just… Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

Mom pursed her lips into a grim line. "Fine."

I felt angry and hurt and I wanted to leave, but I still had a few things to discuss with her. "I'd like to go back to school – _here_. But I need to know you're not going to do anything…foolish."

Mom raised her eyebrows and gave me an expectant look. "Like what?"

"Like…you're going to file a missing person's report," I said slowly, "or maybe you'll tell school I don't live with you anymore." I paused, hesitating for a brief moment. "I like where I am now so I want to keep it that way. So I thought that if I'd keep you in the loop you might want to keep going to the parent-teacher conferences and act like everything's normal. I don't want any social workers coming for me and you don't want that either, right? You don't want Lissa to be taken away, which they will. I mean, as long as you keep dating Stan… " I shrugged. "He's not exactly parent material."

Mom stared at me, but said nothing. She was mulling things over.

I cleared my throat. "I think that's the least you can do for me."

"Maybe," Mom said slowly, hesitant. "If you tell me where exactly you're staying right now. If it's some kind of crack house-"

I snorted. That was rich coming from her; she was addicted to all kinds of pills. "No, Mom. I'm not living in a crack house." I rolled my eyes. "I'm actually living with a respectable man, not too far from here. The trip takes about forty minutes so the only thing I'll have to worry about is getting up in time for school in the morning."

Mom arched an eyebrow. "A respectable man?"

I nodded. "His name is Dimitri."

"I thought you were with Mason."

I frowned. "I am with Mason. Dimitri is my roommate." Wasn't she listening? "He was kind enough to offer me a place to stay."

"How old is he?"

Wow. That didn't take long.

"Twenty-four," I responded, almost reluctant.

"What does he do for a living?"

"He's a book illustrator."

"Hmm."

My frown deepened. Was she judging me right now? Seriously? "He's a nice person, Mom."

"I'm sure he is if he lets a stranger live in his house," Mom muttered, taking a long sip of her drink.

"We're not strangers anymore."

"Am I going to meet this Dimitri?" Mom asked. She sounded careless, but I knew she was curious about him.

I wasn't sure she still had a right to play my mom, but I didn't want to upset her in any way. The last thing I wanted was being dragged away from my new home because my mom didn't get her way.

"If that's what you want," I said tersely, gritting my teeth.

"That's what I want," Mom said, nodding.

"Fine. I'll bring him next time."

"When's that?"

I suppressed a sigh. "I don't know. Whenever you're free." I drank the last of my Cola and set the glass down. "Why don't you call me?"

"You're leaving?" Mom asked, sounding surprised, as I slid out of the booth. "But we've barely talked!"

Only moments ago, she was the one who'd wanted to leave. She'd been difficult the whole time, not to mention how cold and distant she'd sounded over the phone, and now she wanted to _talk_? About what, even? There was nothing left to discuss; I had nothing more to say to her. Why had I even been so nervous for this?

"What is there left to talk about?" I said. I decided she could pay for my drinks, seeing as she'd been thirty minutes late. I started for the door, but stopped abruptly and turned back around. "You know, Lissa told me you're trying to get better and I can see it's true. You _look_ better. So why do you keep Stan around if you don't need the pills anymore?"

Mom glanced down at her lap, gnawing her lip.

"You're not in love with him, right?" I said, almost outraged.

Her head snapped up and she frowned at me. "There's only one man I've ever loved in my life." To my surprise, she looked teary-eyed. "You know that, Rose."

 _Do I?_ "Then what do you need Stan for?"

She stared at me for a long time, speechless. With a shake of my head, I muttered a goodbye and stalked away. I knew Dimitri had told me to call him when I was finished, but I wanted to be alone for a while so I caught the bus instead. It'd take longer to get there, but I didn't mind. Maybe I'd be in a better mood by the time I arrived back home.

I wasn't sure what to feel right now. Of course I felt relieved because I got to stay with Dimitri for now, but mostly I was relieved that it was over. I hadn't expected Mom to agree so quickly, but maybe she was trying to make some things right, though she had a weird way of showing that she cared. After all, she hadn't been so nice to me.

I still couldn't fathom why she was choosing to stay with Stan. I didn't think there were a lot of people who could recover from their addiction without going to rehab, but she was doing it. If she was so strong, why did she feel like she needed Stan in her life? I didn't know much about her recovery, though. I hadn't witnessed any of it. Maybe she was pretending to get better. Maybe she was still taking Stan's pills and hiding it from Lissa. _But she looks better…_

Obviously something had changed because she no longer looked like a zombie and I really wanted to believe that she was doing whatever she could to get off those painkillers, but as long as she stayed with Stan I was always going to doubt her. _She shouldn't need him anymore if she's clean… Unless she thinks she's going to relapse…_

No matter how much I thought about this, I knew I wasn't going to solve this puzzle anytime soon. I decided to ask Lissa about Mom's wellbeing next time I saw her. Maybe she could give me more information about whatever Mom was planning on doing with her life.

I walked the last mile home, trying to clear my mind before facing Dimitri. When I unlocked the front door and stepped into the hallway, I heard voices coming from the kitchen, which was unusual. Hesitantly, I pushed the door to the kitchen open and peeked inside. A tall, skinny girl sat perched on the countertop, talking animatedly to Dimitri who was brewing coffee. The girl looked a lot like him. I realized this must be one of his sisters. She looked a little bit familiar to me and, as my gaze swept over her, I recognized her as the Guess model.

Clearing my throat, I walked inside and said, "Hi! I'm back."

Dimitri's sister looked up, gasped and jumped off the countertop. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed as she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. I froze, not sure how to respond, but she pulled away before I could do anything. "It's so nice to meet you, Rose!" She was grinning as she looked me over. "Gosh, you're so pretty!"

Completely caught off guard, I stammered, "Uh, thanks?"

She looked back at her brother with a raised eyebrow, her grin widening before saying something in Russian. I didn't know what the hell it meant, but Dimitri was glaring at her.

"Oh, where are my manners!" she said, turning back to look at me with a wide smile. "My name's Viktoria, but you can call me Vika."

I offered her a smile in return. "It's nice to meet you, too."

Viktoria shared some similar features with Dimitri; they had the same kind eyes and gentle smile. It was easy to see they were siblings. She was tall, too, but not as tall as Dimitri. Her long curls were a golden brown. She was wearing a white designer dress and her nails were perfectly manicured. The red pumps she was wearing looked rather expensive, too. I probably looked shabby in comparison with my tousled hair, torn jeans and old Converse sneakers, but she still called me pretty.

"Give her some room to breathe, Vika," Dimitri said, rolling his eyes. Then he looked at me and smiled. "I'm glad you're home, Rose. I was starting to worry."

"I'm sorry I didn't reply to your text," I told him, giving him an apologetic look.

Even though I was home, I could still see the concern in his eyes. "Why didn't you call me? I would've picked you up."

"I know, but… I needed some time to think."

He nodded. Thankfully, he didn't ask me how my talk with my mom went. I didn't think it would leave a good first impression if I broke down in front of Viktoria.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," I said hesitantly. Dimitri hadn't seen his sister in a long time so maybe they wanted some privacy.

"No, not at all!" Viktoria said. "You should join us for dinner. Then we can get to know each other a little bit better. Dimitri has barely told me anything about you so it'd be nice if-"

"Vika," Dimitri warned. "Take it easy. She just got home."

"It's fine," I said, giving him what I hoped was a reassuring smile.

"So will you join us?" Viktoria asked, giving me a hopeful look. "I'm taking him out to this cute little restaurant I passed on my way over."

"Sure," I answered. Viktoria seemed like a really nice person. But how could she not be? She was Dimitri's sister. "I'd be happy to." Then I looked down at my clothes and grimaced. "Do you mind if I change first?"

"No problem," Viktoria said. She walked over to Dimitri and snatched the coffee mug from his hands. "I need my coffee first. So I can stay awake during dinner." She took a sip. "Why don't you put on a dress?"

Dimitri frowned. "Don't tell her what to wear, Vika."

"But she'll look so pretty in a dress!" Viktoria beamed at me. "Do you want to borrow one of mine?"

It was nice she believed we had the same size. "Oh, that's okay. I've got a dress. Thanks, though."

I felt Dimitri's gaze on me as I left the kitchen, but he said nothing. I wished I could tell him about my mom, but that would have to wait, but more than anything I wished I could hug him right now. I really needed a hug after today – and not just any hug. I needed a Dimitri hug. A comforting and warm hug from my comrade.

I was barely in my room when I heard footsteps down the hallway and then there was a knock on my door before it cracked open a little. I looked up, hoping it'd be Dimitri, but it was Viktoria.

"Hi," she said. She was still holding the coffee mug. "I thought I might help you get ready. Can I come inside?"

I blinked in surprise. "Sure."

She smiled again before stepping inside. "I know you're quite capable of dressing yourself, but I just love dressing people up!" she admitted, looking around my room. "I love what you've done with the room, by the way. It looks much better this way."

"Dimitri actually did pretty much all of the work," I told her, shrugging awkwardly. "I just told him where to put it."

Viktoria smiled knowingly before bringing the mug to her lips. "Interesting."

Before I could ask what was so interesting, she set the mug down on my desk and turned to my closet, inspecting my clothes. "If I'm annoying, you should tell me, Rose. I tend to get overexcited quickly and I'm really excited right now because I'm happy Dimitri's finally made a friend. Aha, I think I found the perfect dress!" She pulled my strapless black dress from its hanger with a grin. "Oh yes. This is really pretty. It'll look good on you."

"Thanks, but… isn't it too much for where we're going?" I asked, eyeing the dress cautiously. It was my favorite, but the last time I attempted to wear it was the night Stan assaulted me. That should not stop me from ever wearing it again, however.

"No," Viktoria said with a firm shake of her head. She turned around to give me some privacy while I slipped on my dress. "You can never look too fabulous!"

"I'm sorry you can't sleep in your room," I said when she looked at me again. "You probably didn't expect it to be taken when you got here. But I can always take the couch until-"

"It's okay, I'm going to sleep in his room," Viktoria answered, waving my worries away. She walked towards me, inspecting my hair before lifting it. I stood very still, feeling a little bit awkward. I was not feeling like myself today. "Dimka will take the couch."

Now I felt bad. "Oh. That's not fair. I should take the couch. You can-"

"Nonsense! Dimka will sleep on the couch," Viktoria said resolutely as she sat me down at the desk. "He doesn't mind. Shall we put your hair in a bun or would you like a braid?"

"Either is fine," I stammered. Viktoria was so…busy. It was hard to keep up.

"Double Dutch braid it is!" Viktoria said happily as she started to work my hair.

I had no idea what a double Dutch braid was, but I let her do whatever she wanted. The longer I spent time with her, the more she reminded me of Lissa. Liss would have definitely loved to meet Viktoria; she was always making fashion scrapbooks with loads of models in it. Maybe I could invite Lissa over so she could meet Viktoria; I was planning on it anyway so why not while Viktoria was here? I should ask Dimitri first, though.

"I can't say that I wasn't surprised to hear that Dimitri had taken in a girl," Viktoria said. She'd parted my hair in two sections and was braiding the first one now. Her fingers were quick; I wouldn't be surprised if she did this on a daily basis. But didn't she have people who did this for her? "But I'm glad. I'm really glad."

"You don't think it's weird?" I asked cautiously.

Viktoria shook her head. "Why would it be weird?"

I shrugged. "Because I'm a stranger. I mean, I _was_ a stranger to him."

"I don't know why you ran away from your home and I'm not going to ask because that's personal," Viktoria said as she started on the second braid, "but I'm sure my brother had his reasons for taking you in. He's that kind of guy, you know? Sweet and caring. So maybe I shouldn't have been so surprised after all."

I smiled softly. "Yeah, he is. I'm lucky to have met him."

I couldn't see Viktoria's face, but I could almost hear her smile as she said, "He's the whole package, wouldn't you agree?"

Now I was glad Viktoria couldn't see _my_ face because I was pretty sure I was blushing. Did she know I had a thing for her brother? But how was that even possible? She'd only met me thirty minutes ago! My silence must've told her enough because she laughed pleasantly and said, "I'm all done! Take a look in the mirror."

Still flustered, I got up and glanced into the mirror that was hanging on the wall next to my closet. My eyebrows rose in surprise as I looked at my reflection. "Wow. That's…really cool. How did you even do that?"

Viktoria shrugged, smiling. "It's easy."

It didn't look easy to me. "Thanks, Viktoria."

"My friends call me Vika."

I smiled at her. "Thanks, Vika."

She beamed at me. "Well, you're a natural beauty so you don't need makeup. Maybe just a little bit of mascara and lip gloss, but that's it." She pointed at my makeup bag, a questioning look on her face. I nodded and she fished out my mascara and a red lipstick. "This lipstick will look great on you."

When I'd applied the makeup, I looked one last time in the mirror. I had to admit I looked pretty hot and I couldn't help but wonder if Dimitri would think the same. Last but not least, I slipped on my black pumps. They were the only pair of heels I owned and I only got them to match the dress I was wearing right now. I thanked Lissa silently for bringing these along as well.

When we finally came back downstairs, Dimitri was pacing in the kitchen. He'd changed as well, wearing dark jeans and a denim shirt. He'd also tied his hair back in a small ponytail. He stopped short when we entered and glanced up, his eyes widening as he took me in. My knees grew weak and I felt my heart hammer in my chest as I looked back at him. I'd always found Dimitri attractive, but _damn_ , did he look hot right now!

"Doesn't she look breathtaking?" Viktoria said proudly.

"Y-yeah," Dimitri stammered, his eyes still wide. I felt another blush creep onto my cheeks as he blinked and smiled at me. "Breathtaking."

The drive to the restaurant was quiet, except for Viktoria's chattering. She didn't even notice Dimitri and I weren't talking. Dimitri was driving and I sat next to him in the passenger's seat while Viktoria sat in the back. Several times I felt his gaze shift from the road to me. Whenever I dared a peek at him he was already looking away again. We almost drove past the restaurant because Dimitri's eyes had wandered off to me again, which made me smile a little. Hoping he wouldn't see, I looked out the window. _Do I really look breathtaking?_

When Dimitri opened the door for me, I could barely look him in the eye and quickly walked into the restaurant. I didn't know why I was being so self-conscious all of a sudden. Normally, I was rather confident about myself, but there was something about tonight that felt different. Thankfully, Viktoria was here to ease the tension.

I halted when I took a good look around. Viktoria had said this was a cute restaurant, which was true, but it was also kind of…romantic. The room was dimly lit, the booths were closely pressed together, there were candles on every table and there was a violin playing somewhere in the background. Not to mention that there were mostly couples here, having an intimate dinner. Had Viktoria known that on beforehand? Surely not, because then she wouldn't have come here with us.

When I turned around, Dimitri was glaring at his sister again, but she ignored him and walked over to the hostess. Dimitri sighed and stood next to me. Now that I had my heels on, I was a few inches taller so my eyes were level with his mouth. Which was bad because his mouth looked very kissable at this very moment and I shouldn't be thinking about that because I was with Mason.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri murmured, giving me a questioning look.

I blinked, realizing I'd been staring, and looked away. I knew what he was referring to, but before I could give a reply, we were led to our seats by the hostess. I was planning on sitting next to Viktoria, but she placed her purse next to her and gave me a wide smile before nodding at the booth across from her.

"You can sit next to Dimka," she told me.

I narrowed my eyes at her, unsure what game she was playing. But all she did was smile sweetly. Gingerly, I sat down next to Dimitri, making sure to avoid eye-contact. The booth was rather small so my arm was touching his as we sat next to each other. The close proximity was already making me feel hot and bothered so I opened the menu and hid my face behind it as I tried to figure out what Viktoria was doing. _She knows. She knows I like him._

But _how_?

She barely knew me. I'd barely said anything when she'd dressed me and done my hair. How could she know? Was I that obvious? Had my face betrayed me when she'd talked about her brother earlier? Maybe I should mention Mason. Or was that suspicious, too?

"Oh, look," Viktoria exclaimed suddenly, pointing at something on her menu. She beamed at me. "They have spaghetti, Rose. You like that, don't you? Dimka told me so." She was looking at her brother now, a playful smile on her lips.

"Yeah, I do," I said hesitantly when Dimitri frowned at his sister. I had no idea what was going on between them, but she seemed to be annoying him tonight. Earlier, he was glaring at her too. "I guess I'll take that."

I wasn't that hungry, though. My mind was a jumble and I was distracted by my worries so it was safe to say I wasn't exactly good company tonight. Not that Viktoria seemed to mind; she started chattering again, about her life in LA. It would've been very interesting any other night, but tonight I was consumed by my own thoughts, alternating between my mom and my feelings for Dimitri.

And all the while, I was growing more and more conscious of how close I was sitting to Dimitri. I could even smell the sweet scent of his aftershave. It was torture. Obviously, my feelings for him had become more than just a _thing_ , and I realized I needed to have an important conversation with Mason soon. I dreaded it already, but it had to be done. Because this really wasn't fair to him. If I didn't do something about it, I was going to drown in guilt.

I couldn't believe this was happening to me. I couldn't believe I was going to have to break up with a great guy, with my _best friend_ , for a crush on this really hot and amazing guy that I could never have. The thought of having to break Mason's heart was hard to bear. I'd been stupid to fall for Dimitri, but it happened and I had to accept the consequences. The consequences would be much more pleasant if Dimitri returned my feelings, but that was just a silly dream. _But the drawing…_

I forced myself not to think about _that_. I should not be entertaining the thought of what it'd be like if Dimitri felt something for me, too. Because even if he did, it was never going to happen. Dimitri had his morals, which I respected, but that also meant he would never consider dating me because I was still a minor. _Stop torturing yourself, Rose. Enough._ These past couple of days my mind had been going over and over the same things and it needed to _stop_. Right now.

I was relieved when our evening out came to an end. Even Viktoria fell silent at last on our way back home, claiming she was still tired from her flight. I didn't like the silence right now, though. I needed something to distract me from myself – and from Dimitri's close proximity all night – so I turned up the radio and listened to the music. I didn't even care that it was a radio station playing 80's music all the time. _See. You and Dimitri live in completely different worlds. He listens to 80's music for God's sake! You weren't even born then._

I was so frustrated with myself right now that I wanted to bang my head against the dashboard, but that might come across as odd to Dimitri and Viktoria. I felt Dimitri's gaze on me from time to time, but he never spoke. The look on his face said enough, though. He was worried because I was acting all weird.

When we came home, I murmured a quick goodnight to the Belikovs, thanked them for dinner and dashed upstairs to my room. After removing my makeup and releasing my hair from the tight braids, I changed into a tank top and shorts and got into bed. I tossed around for about ten minutes, then realized I was too restless to sleep and got up to pace around my room.

I desperately wanted to talk to Dimitri, tell him about my mom, but I wasn't sure if he was still awake. But I needed to get it off my chest and Dimitri was the only person I wanted to talk to. He was the only one I _needed_ right now.

Quietly, I left my room and tiptoed past Dimitri's bedroom. The lights were out in his room so maybe Viktoria had already gone to sleep. The lights in the living room were on, though, but I didn't dare go in so I lingered at the door for a few moments.

Tonight things had been a little bit weird between us. What if things were still weird? _You were the only one being weird, Rose,_ a voice inside my head whispered, _because of your stupid crush. Just go in and act normal!_

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward. Dimitri was stretched out on the couch, reading a book. But as soon as I'd entered, he looked up in surprise.

"Hey," I said quietly. "I thought I might see if you were still awake… I kind of wanted to talk, but…" I started to retreat back to the door, feeling very awkward. "You're reading. I shouldn't interrupt."

Dimitri closed the book and sat up straight. "No, it's okay. We can talk." When he saw the hesitant look on my face, he smiled and repeated, "It's okay. I can read tomorrow."

Finally, I moved forward and sat down next to him on the couch, pulling my knees up and wrapping my arms around them. I didn't say anything for a long time and Dimitri didn't rush me either. When I looked up at him, he was still smiling and I relaxed a little bit.

"I'm sorry if I was acting strange tonight," I murmured. "It's just…" I shook my head, sighing. "Sorry."

"It's fine, Rose," Dimitri said softly. "My sister can be a lot sometimes. I didn't know she was coming. I would've warned you, but I had no idea."

"It's not that," I said, shaking my head again. "Your sister is great. I really like her."

Dimitri nodded. "It's your mom, isn't it?"

I peeked up at him, biting my lower lip. He'd untied his hair and it was framing his handsome face again. His gentle eyes and smile always made me feel at ease. Actually, just sitting near him made me feel better already.

"Rose?" Dimitri said, a look of worry crossing his face.

Shit. Had I been staring again? I blinked and looked down at my knees. Dimitri inched a little bit closer and put his hand on my shoulder. His touch was light, but it was enough to set my body on fire. He'd been doing it all night, without even trying. Just one look, just one small touch was enough.

"Is it your mom that's bothering you?"

He was right, but she was definitely not the only reason for my strange behavior. But I could hardly tell him that I got butterflies in my stomach every time he looked at me and that I was afraid his sister had figured it out already.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"Was it that bad?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I guess not because she's going to let me stay with you. The only thing she asks for is to meet you." I shrugged. "I got what I wanted so I don't know what my problem is."

Dimitri gave me a look of sympathy. "If you got what you wanted, you'd be home with your sister. And there'd be no Stan."

"Maybe," I admitted, "but I'm happy where I am right now. When we met, I was going through the worst time ever – not counting my dad dying right now. Nothing can top that, but you know what I mean." Tears welled in my eyes as I thought about him. What would he have to say about me if he knew? Would he be proud that I stuck up for myself? Or would he agree with Mom and think I was being foolish? That I should go home and pretend everything was alright?

 _No. He would've wanted me to do what's best for_ me _._

I took a deep breath and pushed back the tears. "Anyway… what I'm trying to say is that meeting you is the best thing that could've happened to me. If it weren't for you, I might still be sleeping in that damn car. Going nowhere. So…" I looked at Dimitri and gave him a small smile. "I'm pretty damn happy to be here. With you."

Dimitri looked shy all of a sudden, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. He nudged his shoulder against mine. "I'm happy you're here, too."

He hesitated for a split second, but then he pulled me into his arms, hugging me tight and I finally felt the tension slip from my shoulders, my body relaxing into his embrace. Tonight there'd been a weird vibe between us, but that was all gone now. We were back to normal. It had been mostly my fault if there'd been tension between us, though. Well, no, that wasn't right. If Viktoria hadn't looked at me as if she knew the truth, I probably wouldn't have been so anxious all night.

"I'm sorry about your mom. I wish you would've called me."

"I know," I murmured into his neck. I could stay in his arms forever. "I just needed to be alone for a while."

"I understand," he said softly, running his hand over my hair in a soothing gesture. "So…what happened?"

Reluctantly, I pulled away from the hug so I could look at him and sighed deeply. "We argued, that's all. But she didn't tell Stan so that's something, I guess."

Dimitri nodded. He reached for my hand and squeezed it gently.

"I just don't get it," I muttered with a shake of my head. "She looked good so I think Lissa is right. She _is_ trying to get better, but if she doesn't need those pills anymore, then why would she keep Stan around? Why is she still taking his side?" I shook my head again. "I can't trust her."

"Do you trust her to take care of Lissa?" Dimitri asked.

I hesitated, gnawing on my bottom lip. "I guess. I mean, she told me she would look after Lissa and if there's anything I believe it's that."

"Well, that's a start then," Dimitri said gently. I noticed he was still holding my hand. "Your mom probably knows she's got to earn back your trust and that takes time."

I snorted. "I don't know. She wasn't really trying today, but maybe things will be better once she's met you. Once she knows I'm not living in a crack house, she might be more accommodating." I rolled my eyes, letting out another sigh.

"A crack house?" Dimitri said disbelievingly, arching an eyebrow.

"That's where she thought I was living. _That's_ how low she thinks of me." I scowled. "Rich coming from her, huh?"

"Don't let it get to you, Roza. You know she's wrong."

"Thanks, comrade," I murmured, smiling a little as I looked down at our entwined hands. "You'll meet her, right?"

"Of course," Dimitri said, giving me a reassuring smile. "I'll do anything to help."

Though I wanted nothing more than to sit next to Dimitri and hold his hand until dawn, it was getting really late. I'd bothered him enough for one night and I should let him get some sleep. I glanced at the couch we were sitting on, realizing he didn't even have a blanket.

"I'm sorry you have to sleep on the couch," I told him, giving him an apologetic look. "Now I feel bad. I'm taking up your sister's space. I should be the one sleeping on the couch."

"No," Dimitri said firmly. "That's your room now."

"But-"

He shook his head at me. "Don't worry about it, Rose. The couch isn't that bad."

I gave him a doubtful look. "You can take my bed," I suggested. "I'll sleep on the couch."

I remembered the night I'd slept in his bed, with him next to me. I hadn't meant for that to happen, but I'd been so exhausted that I must've dozed off during the movie. When I woke up in the morning, I was wrapped in his comforter while Dimitri himself was sleeping on top of the comforter on the other side of the bed. I'd sneaked off because I'd been a little bit embarrassed. What if I'd snored? Or worse, drooled on his pillow? The thought alone made my cheeks flush bright red. But I had to admit that I'd liked waking up next to him and now I was half tempted to say the both of us could sleep in my bed, but I refrained myself.

"Will you stop?" he laughed. "Seriously, Roza. I'll be fine." His smile was teasing. "Besides, I wouldn't fit in your bed anyway."

I glared at him playfully. "Are you making fun of my height again? You're practically a giant!"

"Now who's making fun of who?" he returned.

I pushed against his chest, grinning. "You started it!"

"Shh," he said suddenly, putting his finger against my lips. I furrowed my brows, confused, but stayed silent. That's when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. _Oh no._ I really liked Viktoria, but right now I wanted to spend some time _alone_ with Dimitri. It might be selfish of me, but it was just for one night because I knew I wasn't going to get Dimitri alone for the next few days.

I realized I'd left the door to the living room open so, without further thinking, I pushed Dimitri flat against the couch and lay down on top of him. While I did that, I tried to shut out all the warm feelings welling up inside of me.

"The lights," Dimitri whispered, his eyes wide.

 _Shit._

Viktoria was shuffling around in the hallway by now. I had no idea if she was going to come in or not, but like Dimitri had pointed out the lights were on so she might think her brother was still up. Oscar stared at us from his basket. He probably thought we were being ridiculous, but then he jumped up and stretched his legs before padding out the living room. I gave him an incredulous look.

Was he seriously going to betray us? I hoped not because we'd have a lot of explaining to do if Viktoria found us like this. Why were we even doing this? I mean, I knew why _I_ was doing it, but why did Dimitri not want to be found?

"Oh, hey, Oscar," I heard Viktoria say in a quiet voice. "You're still up as well?" It was quiet for a moment, then, "I'm hungry so I'm going to look for a snack. You coming with me?" Oscar meowed. "Alright, let's go. Can you believe that even short flights fuck me up so bad? I'm definitely gonna gain a few – oh, wait. Someone should probably put the lights out."

I looked up at Dimitri, my eyes just as wide as his. _Don't come in. Don't come in._

"Some people just don't realize they have to pay for electricity, Oscar," Viktoria said with a sigh as she flicked off the lights. "I guess Dimitri fell asleep while he was reading," she continued in a hushed tone. "We shouldn't wake him."

A few deadly quiet seconds passed and then the door closed gently. I let out a sigh of relief and rested my head against his chest, noticing Dimitri's heart was beating just as fast as mine. I glanced up and, though I couldn't quite make out his face in the dark, I knew Dimitri was smiling when he said, "That was close."

"Did Oscar just save us or was he trying to do the opposite?" I whispered.

Dimitri laughed softly. "I have no idea."

I should probably sit up now that Viktoria was gone, but I didn't. Dimitri didn't seem to mind, though. One of his arms was casually – but still firmly – resting on my back, almost like he was ready to hold me down in case I wanted to get up. Or maybe that was me imagining things because that's how I wanted it to be.

My eyes were getting used to the darkness around me and I finally started to make out his face again. He seemed so relaxed right now; he was all smiles.

"That was kinda mean of us," I whispered, giggling.

"Nah," Dimitri said with a shake of his head. "You heard her. She thought I fell asleep reading. Don't feel bad."

I nodded. "I guess I wanted to spend some time alone with you," I admitted after a moment of silence. "We didn't see much of each other today after all." _Except during dinner, but that was so weird thanks to me._

"Yeah, me too," he murmured. With his free hand, he brushed a strand of hair out of my face, but instead of pulling away immediately, his hand lingered on my cheek. Slowly, his smile faded and he said, his voice growing more quiet, "I'm glad you came to talk to me, Roza."

I was suddenly very aware of how hard and fast my heart was drumming in my chest and prayed Dimitri couldn't feel it, too. No longer able to look him in the eye, I glanced down at his mouth – which was a bad idea because it made me think again of how much I wanted to kiss his lips. Was there a part of him that wanted to kiss me, too?

Because the way he was looking at me right now made me think that he did. _And his hand is still on my cheek_ , I thought, acutely aware of his touch. _He's still touching me._

I realized I needed to say something before this got awkward, but I didn't know what to say. All I could focus on right now was his hand _touching_ my cheek. _Never mind that._ My _whole body_ was touching his because I was still on top of him. _Say something. Say_ something!

Suddenly, a thought popped into my head and I started gnawing on my lip nervously. Did I dare ask? I didn't want to make him feel embarrassed. _But I have to know…_

"Why did you draw me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dimitri looked confused for a moment, then realization dawned on him. "Rose-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to look," I apologized quickly. "It was on your desk and – I swear I wasn't snooping around."

Dimitri had been embarrassed plenty of times since I'd met him – which I found adorable, but that wasn't the point right now – but he'd never looked so mortified before. It almost made me regret asking the question because he was so flustered he couldn't get a word out. That's when he pulled his hand from my cheek at last and looked away. I realized I'd put him on the spot, but maybe I could diffuse the tension with a joke.

"It's a beautiful drawing," I told him. Then I grinned, wiggling my eyebrows. "But not as beautiful as the real thing."

Finally, Dimitri glanced back at me and cracked a smile. "That's true. No drawing can ever do you justice."

I was glad it was dark because I was certain I was blushing right now.

"You looked really beautiful tonight," Dimitri whispered suddenly.

"Oh, but that was all thanks to Vika," I said, suddenly shy. "I think she was trying to make me a model. Like her."

Dimitri shook his head slightly. "You don't need all that, Roza. You don't need to dress up or wear makeup to be beautiful." He smiled again. "You are beautiful just the way you are. _Always_ – not just tonight."

I stared at him, utterly speechless. Honestly, even if I could speak right now, I wouldn't know what to say because I think he'd just given me the best compliment any girl could ever receive. Did he know that?

Realizing I was still staring at him, I dropped my gaze and licked my lips nervously when my eyes landed on his mouth. _Don't look at his lips. Don't you dare do anything stupid, Rose…_

Carefully, I glanced back up into his eyes and saw he was still looking at me. There was still a smile on his lips and, slowly, he reached out his hand and placed it back on my cheek. Without even realizing it, I'd started to lean in.

"Roza," he whispered, his gaze never leaving mine.

I inched a little bit closer, our lips almost touching now. My heart was drumming loudly in my chest again, but so was his. I could feel it beneath my hand. I closed my eyes and waited for him to close the little distance that was left between us.

"Wait up, Oscar!"

And, suddenly, the magic was gone.

Startled, Dimitri and I pulled away. Dimitri sat up quickly, and in doing so, he knocked his head against mine. I let out a muffled yelp and rubbed my forehead as I scrambled to my feet. But I heard Viktoria's footsteps already going down the hallway so I dropped down on the floor next to the couch, hoping she wouldn't open up the door and come in.

The footsteps stopped suddenly and I heard Viktoria say, "Hey, maybe you wanna hang out with me in my room tonight? I think a nice and warm bed is better than that basket, don't you agree, Oscar?" A pause. "I knew you were going to like my idea," she cooed, and then she padded up the stairs.

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat back up again. Dimitri lay flat on the couch, looking at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sitting up.

"I'm fine," I said quickly. That was a lie, though. My head still hurt from our collision. _Not the kind of collision I'd hoped for._

While I should feel relieved that I hadn't kissed him, that I was still Mason's loyal girlfriend, I only felt disappointment. I'd wanted to kiss Dimitri _so_ bad, but maybe…maybe it was better this way. I didn't want to be a cheater.

"Roza…?"

My heart ached at the sound of my name coming from Dimitri's lips. I glanced up at him, biting my lower lip again, and he gave me a concerned look.

"I'm fine," I repeated. I didn't sound very convincing so I faked a smile. I realized I had to leave before I tried to kiss him again or do something equally stupid. Slowly, I stepped back and walked to the door, Dimitri's confused gaze following me. "I should go back to my room. Goodnight, Dimitri."

Before he could say anything, I turned and rushed up the stairs, cursing myself silently all the way up to my room for being such a horrible human being.

* * *

 _Way to make things awkward! O.o_

 _I think this was the longest chapter I've ever written. A lot has happened. What did you think of Rose's conversation with her mom? You probably don't like Viktoria at the moment for interrupting Romitri's interlude, but no worries...there'll be more to come soon! :P_

 _Have a wonderful day/evening! :)_


	16. an

Hello everyone!

I know it's been an incredibly long time since I've been on here and some of you are still waiting for an update. I don't have a new chapter ready yet because I've been working my ass off to get better, but until this very day there's still no solution. I have tried pretty much everything (thank you for your tips, by the way) but most of the more natural pills make things worse (how does that even happen?!) and classic medication makes everything worse as well.

I've had a few slaps in the face over the last few months, which is why I stayed absent from Fanfiction. I wasn't inspired to write and unfortunately I'm still not inspired. I hate that I can't get back into it, because I used to love to write.

Recently, someone's been harassing me on Fanfiction as well. She or he didn't like my story "And then you came along" and bashed every chapter of the story. (S)he was anonymous so I removed the reviews, but couldn't message her. Now the same story is being bashed again and I have the feeling it's the same person because what she says in her reviews are pretty much the same as the ones before. She logged in this time, making up an account with the name "Tasha's gost". I checked out the profile and she essentially made a sequel to my story, including my original characters (Rose and Dimitri's children) and she made Dimitri die.

This incident isn't makinng me want to come back to Fanfiction either. I know you guys can't help what haters do, and you've been the most supportive readers ever! When I read your kind messages, I feel so bad for staying away so long. But it was just too much for me to handle and I'm sorry. I suck.

I hope you're willing to give me a little more time because I really do want to finish this story, but I don't want to write just anything. I want it to be good enough for you guys because you deserve that.

Thanks again! I wish you all the best and hopefully I'll be back soon.

Xoxo,

RozaBelikova-x


End file.
